5 Breathing Techniques For Stress: Calm Your Mind and Reset Your Body

Written by Evan Vukets, RCC, Registered Clinical Counsellor in Abbotsford, BC. I support men in Abbotsford, the Fraser Valley, and online across BC. Learn more about me

You can go days without food.

Hours without sleep.

But only a few minutes without breath.

When stress hits, most men don’t notice their breathing. It becomes short, shallow, and tight, especially in the chest and shoulders. Your body is preparing for a threat, even if that threat is an inbox full of emails or a tough conversation at work.

It’s a survival response, not a thinking one.

But here’s the truth:

When you slow your breathing, you tell your body that you’re safe. And when your body feels safe, your mind can think clearly again.

Breathing techniques are more than just a “relaxation trick.” They’re one of the fastest ways to calm your nervous system and help your brain re-engage the logical, calm-thinking part, the prefrontal cortex.

In counselling, I often help men build this connection between body and mind. Learning how to use your breath to regulate your stress response can be life-changing, especially if you’re used to pushing through tension rather than pausing to notice it.

The five simple, research-backed breathing techniques For Stress That I give most of my clients are:

1. Box Breathing (Square Breathing)

Best for: moments of high stress or anxious mind racing.

When you feel restless or wound up, Box Breathing is a great way to slow everything down. It’s a favourite technique used by athletes, first responders, and even the military to regain focus under pressure.

Try this:

• Inhale for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds

• Exhale for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds

Repeat this for 4–5 rounds.

Each cycle helps lower your heart rate, ease tension in your chest, and bring your attention back to the present moment. You can use it anywhere, before a meeting, after a conflict, or while sitting in traffic.

For a full walkthrough of Box Breathing, read my blog on Square Breathing.

2. 4–7–8 Breathing

Best for: calming racing thoughts and improving sleep.

This technique is often called the “relaxing breath.” Developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, it’s designed to help slow your heart rate and prepare your body for rest.

Here’s how:

• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds

• Hold your breath for 7 seconds

• Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds

The longer exhale activates your parasympathetic nervous system, the part of your body responsible for rest and recovery.

Men I work with often use this before bed to quiet their mind or when they wake up in the middle of the night with racing thoughts.

3. Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing

Best for: reducing chronic tension and grounding.

Many of us breathe only into our chest, especially when stressed. Belly breathing helps retrain your body to use the diaphragm, a muscle designed for deep, natural breaths.

Try placing one hand on your chest and one on your belly. As you breathe in, let your belly rise before your chest. Then exhale slowly and feel your stomach lower.

A 2017 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that diaphragmatic breathing significantly reduced cortisol levels and improved attention and mood in healthy adults.

4. Alternate Nostril Breathing

Best for: balance and focus.

This technique, often used in mindfulness practices and guided meditations can help restore balance when you feel scattered or mentally foggy.

Here’s how:

1. Sit comfortably and take a few natural breaths.

2. Use your right thumb to close your right nostril and inhale through your left.

3. Close the left nostril with your finger, open the right, and exhale.

4. Now inhale through the right, close it, and exhale through the left.

That’s one full round. Repeat for a few minutes.

The process can feel a bit unusual at first, but it helps balance oxygen flow between brain hemispheres and calm both body and mind.

5. Progressive Exhale Breathing

Best for: when you feel “stuck in overdrive”

When your system is revved up, the key to calming down is in the exhale. The slower and longer you exhale, the stronger the signal your body sends that you’re safe.

Try this:

Breathe in naturally through your nose, then exhale slowly through your mouth, as if you’re cooling soup.

Repeat for 5–10 rounds.

This method is simple but powerful. Studies from The Journal of Clinical Psychology and Frontiers in Human Neuroscience show that intentional exhalation reduces fatigue and increases calm focus.

Why Breathwork Matters for Men’s Mental Health

As men, we’re often socialized to push through. To “man up,” keep moving, and ignore what’s happening in our bodies.

But when we push those feelings down, they don’t disappear, they show up differently. Increased irritability. Snapping over small things. Disconnection from partners or kids. Scrolling or drinking to escape.

These are signs that the body’s stress response is stuck in “on” mode.

Breathing is how we hit pause. It gives our nervous system a moment to reset and tells the brain, “I’m okay. I can think clearly again.”

If you’ve tried breathing exercises before and found it hard to stay focused, don’t worry, that’s normal. It takes practice to effectively implement breathing techniques for stress. When reframing your thoughts feels difficult, pairing breathwork with reflective tools like Socratic Questioning can help you dig deeper into the “why” behind your stress.

Bringing It All Together

You don’t need to master every technique.

Start with one.

Practice for a few minutes each day.

Taking a few slow breaths might seem small, but it’s often enough to shift your day.

Next Step

If you’d like support in building these techniques into your daily life, I invite you to book a free consultation.

Whether you’re in Abbotsford, the Fraser Valley, or online anywhere in BC, counselling can help you move from tension to clarity, one breath at a time.