What Is Breathwork, How Can It Help You? And How to Choose the Right Practice?
As a psychologist and coach, one of the most frequent questions I get is "What can I do to manage anxiety, stress, or feeling overwhelmed — especially when I don't have a lot of time?"
One of my favourite tools to provide to clients — because it's simple, powerful, and always accessible — is breathwork. It's one of those things that don't require special equipment, a lot of training, or even a lot of time. Just your breath, a little guidance, and a few minutes of focus.
In this post, I want to explain what breathwork is, how it can help you based on science, and how to figure out the best practice for your purposes — whether you're struggling with anxiety, sleep problems, or simply a wish to feel more centred in daily life.
What is Breathwork?
Breath work is simply the deliberate change of your breathing pattern to influence the way you feel — mentally, emotionally, and physically.
While breathing is a function that occurs automatically, when we intentionally alter the breath — slow it, deepen it, pause it — we can send powerful messages to the body and brain.
That is, the way we breathe can either fuel our stress response or calm it. And science is learning more and more about how conscious breathing practices can reset the nervous system in ways that reduce anxiety, improve focus, and even help process difficult emotions.
Why I Teach Clients Breathwork?
One reason I love teaching breathwork in my practice is that it's so practical and easy to use.
For certain people, especially those who have issues with anxiety, stress, or rumination, typical strategies like CBT activities (i.e., challenging negative thoughts) or diary writing work well — but sometimes we need something that works in the moment to first relax the body.
Breathwork does that. I often encourage clients to combine breathwork with other tools, like preluding a journaling practice with a relaxing breath or pairing it with cognitive techniques for racing thoughts.
And here's the thing: when a tool is easy to learn and implement, it's so much more likely to stick and become a part of your daily life. That's why I prefer to recommend box breathing and coherent breathing as a starting point — they're simple, adaptable, and can be used in just about any situation. Whether you're in a meeting, stuck in traffic, or trying to fall asleep, these tools offer a way to pause, reset, and centre yourself — without needing to memorize anything complicated.
What the Research Says: Science-Backed Benefits of Breathwork
Some of the following are scientifically well-supported benefits of breathwork:
Reduction in Anxiety and Calming of the Nervous System
Slow, deep breathing — especially if the exhale is longer than the inhale — helps engage the parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes the body's stress response. A meta-analysis in Frontiers in Psychology (2017) found that slow, controlled breathing significantly decreases anxiety and improves overall emotional well-being.
Improves Focus and Mental Clarity
Techniques like box breathing (used by professionals and athletes in high-pressure situations) can improve focus and reduce stress. A Cognitive Processing study (2018) proved that paced breathing improves cognitive function and focus.
Helps in Processing Emotions and Trauma
Certain forms of breathwork — especially when led by an experienced practitioner — allow people to access and release held emotional tension, making them a useful adjunct to therapy. A study in the Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy in 2020 found that therapeutic breathwork reduced PTSD symptoms in the participants.
Improves Sleep and Relaxation
Breath practices focusing on slow, regular rhythms can transition the body to sleep, helping with insomnia and sleep disturbances. A review in Sleep Medicine Reviews (2021) confirmed that paced breathing improves sleep quality and reduces nighttime anxiety.
How to Start (and Stay Safe)
If you’re curious to try breathwork, here are some simple guidelines:
Start small — Even 2–5 minutes can work.
Choose accessible practices first — Box breathing and coherent breathing are easy to learn and helpful for a wide range of situations.
Pair it with other tools — Use breathwork to calm the body, then add a CBT or journaling exercise to work through thoughts.
Check in with your body — If you get dizzy or uncomfortable, stop and return to natural breathing.
Get support if needed — Some styles of breathwork (like deep connected breathing) must be practiced with a trained facilitator, especially if working through trauma.
If you're looking for tools that will work for you in the moment — and are complementary to other methods like CBT, journaling, or problem-solving — breathwork is a good place to start.
If you'd like help determining which breathwork practice could be most suitable for you or integrating it with the other methods you're already using, feel free to get in touch with me — I'd be more than delighted to help you build a toolkit that works for you, either in person in Barcelona or remotely around the world.