Guide · anxiety · 3 min read
Breathing exercises that help during panic — the unglamorous version, when you have been meaning to start
Deep breathing is the wrong advice during panic. What helps is a longer exhale and something concrete to count.
Start here
Most of the usual advice misses the point. What follows is the version that survives contact with a real week.
You have been meaning to start. This is the least intimidating way in.
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
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.
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.
What to do when it does not work
Do not wait until the peak to practise. Doing four rounds on a normal afternoon is what makes it available at the peak.
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.
Count out loud if you can. Speaking forces a slower, more normal breathing pattern than thinking does.
Questions people ask
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.
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.
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