Guide · body · 3 min read
When to be careful with breathing exercises — the version that fits a real week, when you are waiting for something
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Start here
Every point here is written so that a bad week is still enough to manage it.
Waiting is dead time you can spend on this instead.
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
If you have asthma, keep your inhaler nearby and do not use exercises that involve long exhales through pursed lips during an attack.
If breathing exercises consistently make you feel worse, stop. They are a tool, not a moral obligation.
Do not do forceful breathing exercises while driving, swimming or operating machinery.
What to do when it does not work
Stop if you feel dizzy, tingly or lightheaded. Those symptoms usually mean you are breathing too fast or too deeply, not that you are doing it well.
Panic attacks and breath holds are a bad combination. Holds can trigger the sensation of suffocation that panic is already producing.
Skip breath holds if you are pregnant, or if you have a heart, blood pressure or lung condition. Slow breathing without holds is usually fine, but ask a doctor first.
Questions people ask
Is deep breathing always good?
No. Over-breathing is what causes the dizziness many people associate with "deep breathing". Slow and quiet is usually better than deep.
Written for people who want the practical version. No accounts, no tracking, no newsletter wall.