For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a pretty stressed-out person. While on the surface, all might seem calm, underneath, I’m anything but. My mind is constantly racing, overthinking is my middle name, and me and anxiety – well, we’ve long been on first name terms.
Despite this, until fairly recently, I thought I had a good handle on stress. After all, I manage to hold things together day-to-day, juggling a busy career, three children, a dog and more, without any major red flags beyond the occasional lapse in memory (really, though, who can keep up with life admin anyway?)
However, one of the perks of my job as a Health and Fitness Writer is that I have access to tests and gadgets giving real-time feedback on my mental and physical health, and they’re all saying the same thing: I’m stressed. Even when I think I’m doing just fine, my metrics are telling a different story.
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So, over the past few months, I’ve been on a quest to lower my cortisol, one way or another. I’ve been trying new approaches to calm my frazzled brain, and my latest hack is possibly the simplest of them all: breathwork. Given that we’re all breathing literally all day long, how hard could it be to tap into this most intuitive of habits to cultivate some calm?
Never one to sleep on the science, I was interested to learn that a breathwork practice boasts some pretty impressive benefits. This meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (published in the journal Nature) shows that slow, controlled breathing and faster breathwork may help reduce stress and improve mental health, while further research (see this study, published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine) shows that just five minutes of daily breathwork can be effective in enhancing mood and lowering respiration rate (aka, relaxing us). Music to my time-poor ears.
To find out how I got on trying breathwork every morning for a week, carry on scrolling. And for more on all things breathwork and mental health, take a moment to read our guides to the best five-minute meditations, the best expert-approved somatic healing techniques, and the best exercise moves for relieving tension, plus, find out how I got on when I tried a tai chi flow for reducing stress, here.
Breathwork is hailed as the key to inner calm and clarity – so I tried it everyday for a week
What is breathwork?
If you’ve never paid much heed to the breaths you take every day, you’re not alone. And breathwork might sound complicated, but it needn’t be. While at its most basic level, breathing is (for the most part) almost entirely subconscious, focusing on how we’re breathing and training our bodies to breathe in certain ways can make a huge difference to how effective that simple habit actually is.
“Breathwork is simply the practice of becoming aware of how we breathe and using that breath more intentionally,” explains Shalin Balasuriya, wellness expert, certified sound healer and co-founder of Spa Ceylon. “It may sound simple, but breathing is one of the most powerful ways we can influence how the body feels.”
Despite the power of our mind in driving mental health, when we’re chronically stressed, the body needs an extra boost to regulate itself.
“You cannot think your way out of stress, but you can breathe your body back to safety,” notes coach and mentor Debbie Lucas. “In my work supporting women with self-trust and nervous system regulation, I often see how quickly the breath can bring someone back into their body when stress has taken over. Your breathing is one of the fastest ways to show your nervous system that you are safe.”
How is breathwork connected to the vagus nerve?
So far, so simple, but what about the vagus nerve? Well, for those of us who have never heard of it, the vagus nerve is an important part of our parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for rest, recovery, digestion and regulation.
“The vagus nerve runs from the brain through the neck and into many of the body’s major organs,” says Balasuriya. “It plays a central role in regulating the parasympathetic nervous system, the part responsible for rest, digestion and emotional balance.
“The body often speaks to the brain through this pathway. When breathing becomes shallow and fast, the brain interprets that as stress. But when breathing slows and deepens, the body sends a signal of safety. That signal allows the nervous system to move away from tension and into a calmer, more restorative state.”
In this way, breathwork is essentially a way of communicating with the nervous system using the body’s natural breath rhythm.
What are the benefits of breathwork?
As we’ve already seen, breathwork can be a powerful tool for calming our nervous systems and helping us cope with stressors – but the benefits don’t end there.
1. It’s simple and accessible
First and foremost, breathwork has to be the most accessible wellness tool out there. No fancy equipment or knowledge needed, and it’s effective even if you only do a few minutes a day.
“The breath is always available to us!” says breathwork and running coach, and founder of Evolve Breathwork, Ramon Ghosh. “Learning how to use it deliberately can be one of the simplest tools we have for regulating the nervous system.”
2. It can energise as well as calm us
While much of the talk surrounding breathwork centres on how effective it is for calming us down, we can also use the breath to energise ourselves, too.
“Different breathing techniques can either up-regulate the body ahead of an event requiring energy or focus, or down-regulate the nervous system (more commonly needed in modern-day life) to move from ‘fight or flight’ into a more relaxed state, often referred to as the parasympathetic state,” explains Ghosh.
3. It enhances focus and clarity
Struggling to concentrate? Us too – and breathwork could be the answer.
“When the breath becomes slower and deeper, the vagus nerve becomes more active, which helps shift the body away from a constant stress response,” notes Balasuriya. “Many people notice their shoulders drop, their mind quietens slightly, and their breathing becomes more comfortable. Over time, this can support better sleep, improved focus, and a more stable emotional state.”
4. It has a full-body impact
As well as the mental health benefits, breathwork can alter our physical state, too.
“From an osteopathic perspective, the vagus nerve travels widely through the upper and mid body, passing through structures of the head, neck, thoracic cage, abdomen and pelvis,” says osteopath and wellbeing specialist Manjot Dehala. “Breathing therefore has the potential to influence multiple areas of the body through this physiological relationship.”
5. It improves vagal tone
“When we engage in activity which involves the vagus nerve, we stimulate what is often referred to as vagal tone,” explains Ghosh. “Much like working any muscle repeatedly and making it stronger, repeatedly practising breathwork will improve vagal tone, helping reduce stress, encourage a lower resting heart rate and support better sleep.
“In practical terms: better vagal tone enables the body to move more seamlessly and efficiently between states of activation and recovery – like shifting gears of how we operate and feel in the body.”
Who is breathwork best for?
Put simply, breathwork can benefit pretty much anyone and everyone.
“While breathwork can benefit most people, more intense breathwork is contraindicated for those with cardiovascular conditions,” advises Ghosh. “Breathwork can be categorised into three broad areas that can be adopted for beginners and more experienced practitioners alike, as follows:
- Functional Breathwork: this focuses on how we breathe, and concentrates on improving breathing biomechanics during the day and night to support energy and restful sleep.
- Everyday Breathwork: this includes simple tools that can be used in work or daily life, such as breathing practices to reduce fatigue and improve clarity and practical techniques ahead of meetings, presentations and demanding work periods.
- Nervous System Reset: typically longer, guided breathwork sessions designed to move the nervous system into a state of deep rest. This type of breathwork often involves structured breathing patterns and guided sessions, and is best practised with an experienced coach.
I tried a simple breathwork exercise every morning for a week – here are my honest thoughts
Days one to three
Having done my research, I’m excited to get started with my week of breathwork. But I’ll level with you: I’ve never been what you’d call good at mindfulness or meditation, so I’m also slightly sceptical that I’ll be any good at it, or even be able to do it properly.
So, before I dive in, I ask the experts for their top tips – and am relieved to find that they’re not only easy, but they’re quick and can be done anywhere. Ghosh recommends starting with a simple lengthening exhale for two to four minutes.
“Inhale gently through your nose, then exhale through your mouth slowly for as long as you can,” he advises. “Think of it like slowly emptying a balloon (your lungs) of all of its air. Inhale again and repeat. This will naturally slow your breath down to between three and five breaths per minute, which will typically mean a calmer nervous system.”
Deciding this is as good a place to start as any, on day one, I take a few moments as soon as I wake up to try it out. Normally, I’m very much a tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen type, so sitting for a while, looking out at my garden and slowing my breathing down feels quite radical!
I’m surprised (and pleased) to note that I feel my shoulders drop on the very first exhale – a result, as someone who carries a lot of tension in their upper body. And I don’t even sit with the practice for long (old habits die hard here), but I really do feel calmer and more able to take on the day. For the first ten minutes, at least.
Day two continues in the same vein, with a lovely few minutes of connecting with my breath before tackling my day, but it’s day three that reality hits. Starting the challenge on a Saturday has lulled me into a false sense of security, and on the Monday I totally forget about my breathing until almost lunchtime, when I berate myself and head into the sunshine with a cup of coffee and sit for a while – bliss!
Days four to seven
So far, I’m really loving this challenge. It takes less than ten minutes, and I’m finding that I’m really enjoying taking a moment for myself, even (especially) on the busier days. Whereas usually, I might feel a pang of guilt in stepping away from my laptop and sitting quietly (or, I’d use this time to mindlessly scroll on my phone), somehow focusing on my breath melts this negativity away – and I’m not even tempted to check Instagram. Win, win.
As the week progresses, I get a little more adventurous in where I practice breathwork – and it’s true what the experts say, little and often really does work. Just a couple of deeper inhales and exhales helps me feel instantly calmer, even when I’m on the train with all my kids (surely the ultimate stress test?), and what’s more, no one even knows I’m doing it.
Whereas with mindfulness, I find my brain going off at a tangent, breathwork feels more natural to me, and therefore the practice is easier to stick with – and there’s no guilt over failing. As for the benefits, I’m surprised and pleased to discover that I do feel calmer.
So, what do my metrics say? While my wellbeing trackers are still registering, I’m more stressed than restored, my resilience has improved, going from solid to strong – a sure sign that something has shifted over the week.
Will I keep up my newfound skill? Absolutely. I’m a breathwork convert, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone seeking just a little more calm in their everyday.
Shop MC UK’s go-to self-care essentials now:
Varsity Straight Leg Sweatpants
The first thing I do at the end of every day to relax is change into my comfies, and I love my Adanola sweats for helping me to take the day off. Because no one ever felt calm in restrictive clothing, right?
Loewe Scent of Marihuana Scented Candle
Earplugs in, sweatpants on – the final step in my calming evening routine? Lighting a gorgeous candle. Although I’m yet to take the plunge on this stunning Loewe one, it’s been on my wishlist forever.
How often should we practice breathwork?
“Breathwork works best when it becomes part of everyday life,” notes Ghosh. “So, if you’re able to practice consistently – ideally every day, even if only for a few minutes – it can be very effective. Many people find it helpful to practise first thing in the morning, or during natural pauses in the day, such as a commute or before an important meeting.
“However you choose, the key point is consistency: this is when you’ll notice both mental and physical changes. And don’t forget, how we breathe during the day matters just as much as breathing exercises themselves. Mouth breathing, shallow breathing and irregular patterns can keep the nervous system slightly activated.”