Guide · anxiety · 3 min read
Breathing exercises that help during panic — what actually helps, when your attention is scattered
Deep breathing is the wrong advice during panic. What helps is a longer exhale and something concrete to count.
Start here
Every point here is written so that a bad week is still enough to manage it.
Scattered attention is the raw material, not an obstacle.
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.
Count out loud if you can. Speaking forces a slower, more normal breathing pattern than thinking does.
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".
What to do when it does not work
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.
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.
Written for people who want the practical version. No accounts, no tracking, no newsletter wall.
If this is not the angle you need, try Working in a noisy place without losing your mind — a practical guide, after a difficult conversation, Using your body to come down after something stressful — the long answer, briefly, when you are not in the mood or Working in a noisy place without losing your mind — explained without jargon, when you have been on screens all day.