UiA Bibliotek Blog

The Breathing Trick That Calms Your Body in Seconds

When pressure kicks in—whether it's from exams, deadlines, or just feeling overwhelmed—your body reacts like it's under threat. That’s stress in action. But here’s the good news: you can shift it.

Your breath is your built-in reset button.

Deep, intentional breathing tells your system you’re safe. It moves you out of fight-or-flight and back into clarity, calm, and control.

Use this technique to lower stress, steady your heart rate, and give your mind the space it needs to perform at its best.

Benefits of breathing exercises:
•    relieve stress
•    lower your heart rate
•    help you sleep better

1. Box breathing

One simple deep breathing technique is known as box breathing. It's named this because the exercise’s four steps make a box shape.
To begin box breathing, sit or stand with your back straight. Or, if you prefer, you can lie down with your arms by your side. Choose whatever position feels most relaxing.

‣ close your eyes if it feels right for you.
‣ release any tension in your jaw and let your body settle. 
‣ breathe in slowly to a count of four. If you want to, place your hands on your belly and feel it expand like a balloon.
‣ after breathing in, hold your breath for another count of four.
‣ breathe out slowly and steadily through your mouth, again counting to four in your mind.
‣ after breathing out, hold your breath again for another count of four.
‣ go back to step 1 and repeat the process for as long as you want to.