Breathing and relaxation techniques

Breathing exercises and relaxation techniques may help you if you become breathless. Your physiotherapist or nurse can show you how to do these at home.

Try to stay calm if you become breathless. This is easier said than done sometimes. But the more anxious you get, the tighter your muscles will be, and the worse your breathing will become.

Watch a short video showing breathing techniques for long term breathlessness:

Abdominal breathing

Abdominal (tummy) breathing helps to expand your lungs fully. It also allows you to relax and control your breathing because you are concentrating on something else, instead of how breathless you are. Abdominal breathing means you deliberately expand your abdominal wall when you breathe.

Start by sitting in a comfortable position with your back and head supported. This allows your ​diaphragm​ and tummy to expand fully.

Put your hands on your tummy, as you breathe in your tummy rises and expands and relaxes as you breathe out.

You may find it helpful to practice these exercises when you are not breathless so you get used to doing them. 

Remember you can’t breathe in properly unless you have breathed out first

Sometimes if you are very anxious about catching your breath, you might forget to breathe out. Make sure you take enough time to breathe out fully before your next breath in.

Controlled breathing

If you are getting very breathless, stop what you are doing and sit up straight. This will help to get as much oxygen into your lungs as possible.

Remind yourself breathlessness will ease off soon

Try to concentrate on:

• breathing in slowly through your nose

• breathing out through your mouth

The pursed lip relaxation technique

If you can't sleep or are very breathless when you wake, try the pursed lip relaxation technique:

• breathe in through your nose

• breathe out through pursed lips (as if you were going to whistle) taking much longer than it took to breathe in

• keep doing this for a few minutes, it should help you feel more in control of your breathing

This technique slows the flow of air as you breathe out. It helps to open up your airways and releases trapped air making breathing easier.

You can use this technique during any activity that makes you feel breathless such as climbing stairs.  

Controlled breathing techniques are very like relaxation exercises. As you breathe out try to relax your shoulders. It can help to have someone gently massaging or pressing on your shoulders as you do this.

If you practise this 3 or 4 times a day, you should notice that you are breathing more deeply as well as more slowly.

A breeze or using a fan will also help

Many people with breathing problems find it helps to be near a breeze from an open window or to have a small fan in the room. This gets the air moving and often helps you feel less short of breath.

If you find this helps you might also find it helpful to carry a small hand held fan when you are out and use it when you feel breathless. 

How you can help yourself

Rectangle Breathing

Rectangle breathing can help slow down and control your breathing. You can focus on any rectangular shape around you. For example, a rectangle in a book, picture or window. By looking at the sides of any rectangle you can gradually slow down your breathing rate. You breathe in for the short side, out for the long side. It is often recommended to try 4 seconds to breathe in and 6 seconds to breathe out. This may improve your breathlessness. 

There are several different rectangle breathing techniques. It might be a question of trying these and seeing which works best for you.

Distraction techniques

Having a distraction by focusing on something else can also help improve breathlessness. It may help when you are feeling anxious and short of breath.

There are several things you can do. Ask your specialist nurses for more information about this. Examples include:

• counting backwards

• thinking about a song or poem

• listening to music

Find out more about ways you can manage breathlessness at Asthma + Lung UK

Sources of support

Some hospitals have specialist breathlessness clinics. Ask your doctor to refer you if there is a service in your area. They can teach the techniques here and much more. If there isn't a special clinic, ask to have a chat with a physiotherapist or nurse who specialises in helping people with breathing problems.

Occupational therapists can assess your breathlessness and help you find ways of managing your breathlessness. They can get you equipment for your house, such as rails for stairs or your bathroom.

Find out more about resources and support

Remember that you are not alone. Other people have gone through similar experiences.