Breathing for panic attacks: how to get through one

What happens to your breath

When anxiety rises, you breathe fast and high in your chest. It feels like you’re short of air, so you breathe in even more, which keeps the feeling going. The reflex to find is the opposite: breathe out slowly, before even trying to take a good breath in.

1. The physiological sigh: the fastest effect

Breathe in through your nose, then, without breathing out, take a second short inhale to fill your lungs. Then breathe out slowly and fully through your mouth. Two or three sighs are often enough to bring the tension down. That is the physiological sigh, the exercise moopy flow’s SOS button offers during a panic attack.

2. Prolonged exhalation to steady yourself

Once the peak has passed, keep a simple rhythm: 4 seconds in, 6 to 8 seconds out. Prolonged exhalation has no hold, which makes it easy even when you feel shaken.

3. Box breathing to take back control

Counting to 4 at each step gives your mind a clear task. Box breathing helps you refocus as calm returns.

Keep in mind

• Don’t try to breathe in deeply: focus on a slow exhale, as if through a straw.
• Put a hand on your belly to feel your breath move down.
• Practice when you feel fine: the gesture will come more easily the day you need it.

What the research says

A Stanford University study compared several 5-minute daily exercises over a month: cyclic sighing, built around a long exhale, improved mood the most (Balban et al., 2023). A meta-analysis of randomized trials also concludes that guided breathing lowers perceived stress and anxiety, with a small to moderate effect (Fincham et al., 2023).

If panic attacks are frequent or intense, talk to a healthcare professional. If you are in crisis, contact your local emergency number.