Ready when you are

Inhale 4 Exhale 6

Begin

The technique

How to do diaphragmatic breathing

1. 1 Put one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
2. 2 Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of 4, letting your belly (not your chest) rise.
3. 3 Breathe out slowly for a count of 6, feeling your belly fall.
4. 4 Keep the chest hand as still as you can throughout.

Why it helps

What's happening in your body

• Anxiety makes breathing shallow and chest-based; belly breathing uses the diaphragm for fuller, more efficient breaths.
• The slightly longer exhale gently tips you toward the body's calming response.
• It's the foundation most other breathing techniques build on.

When to reach for it: A good one to master first — use it any time your breathing feels tight or shallow.

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Keep going

Box Breathing Breathe in, hold, out, hold — each for a count of four. 4-7-8 Breathing Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale slowly for 8. Coherent Breathing Slow, even breaths — in for five, out for five.

Related reading: Relieving chest tightness from anxiety