How to Calm Down with This Simple Breathing Exercise

In this fast-paced, somewhat-out-of-control world of ours, who hasn’t heard this: “You’ve really gotta relax!” And as much as we’d like to argue with that, we know that it’s probably true: we DO need to relax. But sometimes it feels like we just can’t! That feeling of constant stress gives us headaches and heartburn, causes us to lose sleep and focus, and can certainly interfere with healthy voice production.

I experienced this “sudden stress overload” personally a few months ago, when I had a freak accident while working out. A small weight with a metal edge flew out of my hand while I was doing a floor triceps workout and hit me squarely in the center of my forehead. The pain was a shock, but not nearly as much of a shock as the horror-movie scene that ensued. Let’s just say I had no idea that a little head wound could make such a mess. Never has the word “BREATHE!” had so much meaning. Every horrible thought of what I had just done to my face and head felt suffocating.

Fortunately, I got my wits about me enough to remember who to call first….no, not my husband…my friend and associate, brilliant ENT and facial plastic surgeon Jason Cohn, DO. He was in surgery that morning but still managed to return my call and scheduled me for an appointment that afternoon as soon as he got into his office in Smithtown, NY. Long story short: a CT scan, 6 stitches, and a whole lot of post-accident care and I’m as good as new, with a nearly-invisible scar. Thank you, Jason. P.S: For any of you who are looking for facial rejuvenation, fat transfer, even a new nose, you should go see Dr. Cohn at Cohn Plastic Surgery https://cohnface.com/ (To see my healing journey, see our 3-video series on YouTube).

I hope you never have something this stressful happen to you, but no matter what stresses us day to day, we need a simple, quick, no-frills technique to reduce the effects of stress on our body, mind, and soul…and even our voices! And here it is: it’s called square breathing or box breathing. Let me take you through the steps here, and if you want a visual tutorial on this, check out our third healing video where I demonstrate the square breathing technique.

Square Breathing How-To

First get into a comfortable position; you can do this standing, sitting, or lying down. It may help to envision the four sides of a square as you do these simple steps:

Inhale through the nose over a count of 4 (and if that’s too long at first, use a count of 2).
Hold your breath for a count of 4. Don’t close your throat; just wait.
Exhale through the mouth for a count of 4 (I use pursed lips for this to feel the exhale).
Wait for a count of 4 before your next inhalation. (Again, don’t lock your throat; just wait).

Repeat this cycle until you feel calmer and more centered. It’ll help you when you need to focus, when you can’t sleep, if you’re nervous for an audition or before giving a presentation. Practice this easy technique often so it becomes automatic, so you’re ready to use it when you feel stressed or anxious. Use square breathing and see if you feel calmer and more centered…fast! Wishing you a stress-free day!