actually helpful breathing exercises

You know how sometimes people tell you that you should just breathe and everything will be fine? And it usually is, but sometimes it doesn't feel that way to your brain. That's why today I want to write about helpful breathing exercises and why they really work.

First I use a breathing technique called 4-3-4 its similar to box breathing. Where box breathing does 4 seconds in, 4 hold, 4 out, and 4 hold before you repeat, here it is 4 seconds in, hold 3, and 4 out. This is my main breathing technique to calm my mind. Another one I use is belly breathing. All you have to do is put your hand on your stomach and breathe in and out till you feel calm again.
Research by John Hopkins children's hospital has shown that diaphragmatic "belly" breathing helps with decreasing cortisol which is a stress hormone. That is why many people use it including me.

work cited

John Hopkins medicine. " Diaphragmatic Breathing". https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/all-childrens-hospital/services/anesthesiology/pain-management/complimentary-pain-therapies/diaphragmatic-breathing . Accessed April 11, 2026.