Guide · anxiety · 3 min read
Breathing exercises that help during panic, in the order that helps, when you want something simple
Deep breathing is the wrong advice during panic. What helps is a longer exhale and something concrete to count.
Start here
This is not complicated. It is inconvenient, which is why most people skip it.
Simple is the point. There is no advanced version to graduate to.
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
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.
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
A physiological sigh — one inhale, a second short sip of air on top, then a long release through the mouth — often works in one or two rounds.
Count out loud if you can. Speaking forces a slower, more normal breathing pattern than thinking does.
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.
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 Preparing for a conversation you are dreading — a gentle, practical guide, when the house is busy, Breathing exercises that help during panic — the unglamorous version, when you have been meaning to start or How to get through the first hour without your phone, in the order that helps, when you are not in the mood.