Learn box breathing to manage your anxiety.

Also called “square breathing”, box breathing is a helpful breathing technique to have in your belt to manage anxiety. It’s easy to learn, it’s easy to remember, and it can be used anywhere without anyone else knowing what you’re doing. Whether you’re experiencing social anxiety, public speaking anxiety, panic, or any other kind of anxiety, box breathing can help you get back into balance and face the challenges of life more effectively.

How to do Box Breathing (5 steps)

1. Inhale for 5 seconds as you imagine making a vertical line upwards.
2. Pause and hold your breath for 5 seconds as you imagine making a horizontal line to the right.
3. Exhale, extending your breath out for 5 seconds as you imagine making a vertical line downwards.
4. Pause and hold your breath for 5 seconds as you imagine making a horizontal line to the left and completing the square.
5. Repeat.

Why Box Breathing Works for Anxiety

Box breathing works on 2 levels – your body and your attention.

When you are anxious, your sympathetic nervous system is highly active. As you extend and slow your breath during box breathing, you are activating your parasympathetic nervous system. Your parasympathetic nervous system calms your body, and your mind with it. This is the great thing about breathing techniques- if you do them correctly, there is no choice in the matter. Your body will calm down and your mind will calm down.

Box breathing also works at the level of your attention. As you focus on the box you are drawing in your imagination, your attention is on the box and not on all of your anxious thoughts. If an anxious thought does come up for you, simply notice it, accept it, and turn your attention back to drawing the box.

Don’t forget to download the box breathing pdf below for easier reference while you incorporate this exercise into your daily life.

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