What diaphragmatic breathing is
The diaphragm is the sheet of muscle under your lungs. When it does its job, it pulls down as you breathe in and your stomach moves out ahead of your chest. That is diaphragmatic breathing, sometimes called belly breathing or abdominal breathing.
Under stress most people switch to chest breathing, which speeds things up and fills only the upper lungs. The aim of the exercise above is to get your diaphragm moving again, so each breath goes deeper without effort.
How to do it
You breathe in two stages, let the air go, then rest. Your hands tell you which part of you is doing the work.
- Sit upright in a straight chair, or lie on your back. Loosen anything tight at your waist.
- Place one hand on your upper chest and the other on your stomach.
- Breathe in through your nose and let your stomach rise first. The hand on your stomach should move before the hand on your chest.
- Carry on filling your chest, then let the air go without forcing it.
- Rest a moment before the next breath. The pause matters as much as the breath.
Keep your hands where they are for the first few weeks. Feeling what moves is most of the skill.
Why slower breathing settles the body
Slower, deeper breathing changes the balance of carbon dioxide in your blood, which is why the body settles. It is a physical change rather than a matter of willpower, which is also why it keeps working on days when talking yourself calm does not.
It is not instant. Most people need a few weeks of regular practice before it does much in a genuinely stressful moment, which is the main reason people give up on it too early.
When to practise
Practise twice a day for a few minutes at a time, while you are already reasonably calm. Short and frequent beats long and occasional.
Good moments: in bed before getting up or before sleep, during ad breaks, on a break at work, in the car before you start the engine, at home before heading out, or just before a meal.
If your stomach barely moves
That is common, and people who find this hardest often benefit the most once it clicks. Try one of these positions. If you have back trouble, be careful not to strain.
- Sitting: clasp your hands behind your back and slowly raise them, stopping before it is uncomfortable. Hold there. Diaphragm breathing usually starts on its own.
- Sitting or lying on your back: hold your arms straight out to the sides, elbows and shoulders in one line. This limits your chest, so the diaphragm takes over.
- Lying on your stomach: prop your head on your hands, elbows out. You will feel your stomach press into the floor as you inhale, which is useful feedback.
Taking it further
Once the basic version is comfortable, widen where you can do it:
- Practise with your eyes open and hands at your sides, then in public places like a café or a meeting.
- Try it standing, then walking, then while exercising.
- Use it before situations you know will be stressful.
- Only once it is working well, try it when you are already mildly tense, and work up gradually.
- Do not expect it to stop a full panic attack. Over time you may catch the early signs and use it to head one off.
Common questions
How long should I do diaphragmatic breathing for?
A few minutes is plenty. Longer is not harmful, just not needed. Two or three short sessions a day will do more than one long one.
Should I breathe through my nose or my mouth?
Through your nose if you comfortably can. If your nose is blocked, breathing through your mouth is fine — the part that matters is which muscles move, not which opening the air comes through.
Why do I feel light-headed or more tense afterwards?
Feeling more tense afterwards happens, especially at first. Noticing your breathing more clearly can feel uncomfortable before it feels useful. If it keeps happening, try a slower pace and practise only when you are already calm. Light-headedness usually means you are breathing too deeply or too fast; ease off and rest longer after each out-breath.
Can it stop a panic attack?
Not reliably, and it is not a good idea to judge it by that. With enough practice some people catch the early signs and head one off, but a technique you have practised for a week will not hold up against a full panic attack.
Is this the same as box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing?
They are relatives. Those are counted patterns; this is about which muscles do the work. You can use a diaphragmatic breath inside any of those counts.
Does the exercise above store anything about me?
No. There are no cookies, no accounts and no analytics on this page, and nothing you tap is sent anywhere. What you enter stays in your browser tab and disappears when you close it.
A note on safety
This exercise is a self-help tool, not medical care and not a substitute for seeing a professional. If breathing exercises consistently make you feel worse, or you have a lung or heart condition, talk to your doctor before making a habit of them.
If you are in crisis, call or text 9-8-8, anywhere in Canada, at any time.