Guide · anxiety · 3 min read
Breathing exercises that help during panic — explained without jargon, when you need to stop thinking about work
Deep breathing is the wrong advice during panic. What helps is a longer exhale and something concrete to count.
Start here
None of this is glamorous. All of it is doable, which matters more.
Work thoughts are allowed to be there. They just do not get to drive.
If you only do one thing from this page, do the first point below. It is first because it removes the most friction for the least effort.
What helps
Put one hand on your ribs and one on your belly so you can feel which one is moving. This gives your attention a job that is not "am I dying".
Do not try to take a big breath in. During panic you are often already over-breathing, and a deep inhale can make the dizziness worse.
Do not wait until the peak to practise. Doing four rounds on a normal afternoon is what makes it available at the peak.
What to do when it does not work
Count out loud if you can. Speaking forces a slower, more normal breathing pattern than thinking does.
Cool your face. Cold water on the wrists and the back of the neck is a physical signal that has nothing to do with thinking your way out.
Make the out-breath longer than the in-breath. Four in, six or eight out is enough. The exhale is the part that shifts things.
Questions people ask
What if I feel more dizzy?
Stop and breathe normally. Dizziness during breathing exercises usually means you are breathing too hard or holding too long.
Does this replace treatment?
No. Breathing exercises are a coping tool. Panic disorder responds well to CBT and, in some cases, medication. Talk to a professional.
Written for people who want the practical version. No accounts, no tracking, no newsletter wall.
If this is not the angle you need, try Why your weekend does not feel like rest — the version that fits a real week, when you have more time than usual, Using your body to come down after something stressful — what to expect, when nothing else has worked today or What to do when everything is too much — what to expect, before something difficult.