Breathing Through Anxiety: How Box Breathing Helps Calm My Mind

Over the past few months, I have had a lot of uprooting and change in my life. This has not been a fun process as I find my days filled with anxiety. Most days this week I have awoken with this heaviness in my chest, a tightness in my throat, and feel hypersensitive to everything happening around me.

My breath has felt erratic: shallow, uneven, and fast.

Without my daily breath regimen, I would have no grounding at all. Luckily for me, I am aware of how disconnected I’m feeling from my body. Although I am being challenged in many areas of my life right now, it has served as a powerful reminder of how incredibly vital the practice of conscious breathing is. I am taking a BIG dose of my own medicine right now; using the tools to help me march through these uncertain times.

Feeling the Weight of Anxiety

I find myself relying on slow steady breaths in my morning meditation. Allowing space to settle into the shakiness of my body and really experience the weight of my anxiety. Doing this creates space for you to observe the fear, the anger, the grief or whatever experience our anxiety brings up. Your breath when observed begins to show you patterns and behaviors that you allow your mind to engage in. This gives you a clearer understanding of what is unconsciously going on. This provides you with a deeper understanding of how your thoughts affect your breath and how you show up day-to-day, especially when under pressure.

Even as someone who considers themselves deeply connected to my breath, I experience difficulties. I am a believer that my understanding of breathing and how to use a variety of practices helps me move through my anxiety more quickly. This has been a transforming gift that today I am reflecting on to calm my overactive mind and remember to take things one breath at a time.

Here’s my go-to practice whenever I need a good reset…

Box Breathing

This is my go-to, all-time favorite breathing practice. It just sits well in my body. You can do this practice whenever you want, but most people use it for focus. When I have clear focus I always feel more calm in my mind. In my experience, there is no wrong way to do this pattern, as long as you are being open and curious about the nature of your breath.

I like to sit cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Eyes closed.

Bring my attention to the body and allow myself to rest into whatever I feel.

• Where do I feel the anxiety?
• How is it showing up for me?
• Is my heart beating fast?
• Is it tension in my jaw?
• Is it an emotion that I am experiencing?

Whatever comes up I try to sit with it for a moment to get familiar with what behaviors are immediately noticeable.

After a minute or two of grounding, I return to my body scan, looking for tension, energy, or vibration.

• Has the anxiety lessened or amplified?
• Is there something new that I have noticed?
• Is there a different sensation or emotion I hadn’t been aware of yet?

Next, I allow myself space to experience my breath.

• How’s the speed? Location, effort, notice anything that might be present

After a few minutes of observation, allowing, and experiencing where I am in my body I begin to guide my breath deep into my core as I fill my belly and expand wide through my ribcage.

• As I exhale I allow everything to gently release. Letting tension gently leave my body.
• I’ll continue to guide my breath here for another couple rounds as I observe changes taking place as I increase the effort I pour into my breathing pattern.

Finally, I’ll empty my lungs of air and on an inhale begin box breathing.

• Inhale through my nose as I count 1–2–3–4
• Hold at the top of my breath as I count 1–2–3–4
• Exhale through the nose as I count 4–3–2–1
• Empty at the bottom of my breath as I count 4–3–2–1

I’ll remain in this pattern for 5–10 minutes using my count as an anchor for my thoughts.

Then returning to my natural breath, my eyes stay closed, my body is loose.

More relaxed in both mind and body, I use this time to observe the subtle energies moving through me.

• Can I pinpoint the root of my anxiety?
• Are there still pockets of tension, stagnation, and blockages?
• Where can I feel the prana (energy) tingling through my body?
• What are the quality of my thoughts?
• Satisfied, I blink my eyes open and begin my day.

This practice continuously provides me with some separation from anxious feelings when they creep up. Once I have space to think clearly about my situation I can more effectively manage my day and have better choice over whether I engage in those depleting thoughts or not.

Sometimes I find myself playing with my breath practice more and creating new versions that work in the moment. For me the biggest benefits of breathwork have been emotional regulation. The tension release, nervous system regulation, clear mind, and one thousand other benefits are all a bonus. If you are interested in box breathing and would like to try 10 rounds with me, head over to Insight Timer and give my free track a listen.

What tools do you use to manage stress, overwhelm, and anxiety in your life? Have you found breathing practices helpful? Which ones serve you the best? I’m always open to having a conversation about breath, so reach out! And breathe well friends.