Learn to Breathe: How Controlling Your Breath Can Calm Your Mind
Most of us don’t think much about our breathing because it just happens! We simply breathe. But learning how to control our breath can genuinely change our lives. When we control our breath, we influence how we react to stress, manage our emotions, and reduce fear and worry. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have and it’s completely free.
Breathwork for Beginners: Start With Breath Awareness
If you’re new to breathwork, begin by lying on your bed or couch. Make yourself comfortable and spend a few minutes simply listening to the sounds around you. No pressure, no rules, no overthinking, just being. What’s the furthest sound you can hear? Can you hear anything in the room with you?
After a few days of doing that (making time to lie and listen) begin noticing your breath. What is your breathing like? Is it fast, shallow, deep, relaxed? Are you inhaling through your nose or exhaling through your mouth? Just notice. No need to change anything yet. Then, once this feels familiar, you can begin gently practising breathing techniques — while calm and relaxed. Just a few minutes a day will make a difference. It gets easier with time and practice.
Simple Breathing Exercises for Beginners
Longer Exhales
Inhale gently through your nose for 4 seconds and exhale through your mouth for 6 seconds. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system and helps your body settle and relax.
Pursed-Lip Breathing
Inhale through your nose as if smelling a flower. Exhale slowly through pursed lips as if gently blowing out birthday candles. This technique slows your breathing, reduces shortness of breath, and improves oxygen exchange. It’s great for anyone feeling panicked, breathless, or overwhelmed.
Box Breathing
Breathe in for a count of 4, hold your breath for 4, exhale for 4, and hold again for 4. Repeat. Think of it as a box: 4 in / 4 hold / 4 out / 4 hold. Used by athletes, therapists, and military personnel to help stay focused and grounded.
4-7-8 Breathing
Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale slowly for 8. A few rounds of this can calm the nervous system, improve sleep, and reduce stress.
Coherent Breathing
Breathe in for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds, aiming for 5–6 breaths per minute. This rhythm balances mood and heart rate.
Physiological Sigh
Inhale through your nose, then take a second quick inhale. Follow with a long, slow exhale through your mouth. This naturally happens during crying or yawning (dogs do it too!). It’s one of the fastest ways to reduce anxiety and return to a calm baseline. Try just 1-3 cycles and notice the shift. Dr Andrew Huberman has studied this in detail.
Ocean Breath (Ujjayi Breath)
Breathe in and out through your nose while slightly constricting the throat, creating a soft wave or whisper sound. Say “Haaaah” with your mouth open to feel the sensation, then try it with lips closed. Ocean breath gives your mind something to focus on and naturally slows your breath. Useful in mindfulness, stress reduction, and during yoga practice.
Why Breathwork Matters
Learning to breathe intentionally is a simple but powerful way to regulate your emotions, calm your body, and support your physical wellbeing. I regularly talk about breathwork during corporate wellbeing talks and in my work as a psychotherapist in Cork city.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, angry or on edge, try starting with your breath. It’s one of the easiest ways to reset. But keep in mind that breathwork works best when you’ve practised it when you’re calm (for use when not so calm). Please do not wait until you’re anxious or stressed to start doing it for the first time.
For more tools and support around mental health and wellbeing visit www.carolinecrotty.ie.
Better Days Ahead
This Won’t Last Forever: There Are Better Days Ahead
When you’re in the thick of it – whether it’s heartbreak, burnout, grief, anxiety, or deep uncertainty about the state of the world and it’s leaders – it might feel like things will never improve, as though the weight of it all is here to stay. But it won’t last forever. However heavy everything feels, I’d like to remind you that whatever you’re facing right now is not the end of your story. Life might feel overwhelming. You might feel stuck. But feelings, like seasons, change. And even when you can’t see it yet, change is happening.
Psychological research and lived experience show that people are more resilient than they often realise. Even in the face of great pain, we have the capacity to heal, adapt and to grow. None of this happens overnight and certainly not perfectly but gradually, in small, quiet ways.
If you’re struggling today, please try not to judge your whole life by this current impasse or challenge. You might be in a moment of deep winter but spring always follows. Better days are not a fantasy – they are a biological and emotional truth for most people, given the right support, safety and time.
In the meantime, while you are waiting for the better days:
Focus on today, not forever
Reach out, even if you’re not sure what to say
Keep your routines simple and soothing
Rest when you can, and speak kindly to yourself
You are not failing. You are navigating. And the road ahead, though not easy now, can be lighter and more hopeful than today.
Please don’t give up.
Better days are ahead and that’s not just optimism, that’s a fact.
3. Refocus: What is within my control?
☐ My attitude and effort
☐ How I speak to myself
☐ My actions today
☐ Whether I say yes or no to something
☐ The support I reach out for
☐ How I care for and look after myself
☐ Other: _______________________
4. One small step I will take today to help improve my mood:
This worksheet is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy principles. It can help reduce overwhelm by focusing your energy on what you can actually control, influence, or let go of.
The cycle of anxiety often follows this loop: Trigger → Unhelpful Thought → Physical Sensation → Behaviour → Short-Term Relief → Reinforcement
1. What was the trigger? (What started the anxiety?)
________________________________________
2. What thought(s) went through my mind?
________________________________________
________________________________________
3. What did I feel in my body?
Heart racing
Shaky
Sweating
Tight chest / clenched jaw
Stomach upset
Other: ____________
4. What did I do to cope? (Behaviour)
Avoided the situation
Sought reassurance
Overprepared
Distracted myself
Cancelled plans
Other: ____________
5. What was the outcome?
________________________________________
6. Where could I break the cycle next time?
________________________________________
________________________________________
This worksheet is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles that help individuals understand and interrupt unhelpful patterns linked to anxiety.
Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear or discomfort, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as a racing heart, chest pain, dizziness, and difficulty breathing. These episodes can feel frightening and overwhelming but they are treatable and manageable.
As a Cork-based psychotherapist, I’ve worked with many people who experience panic attacks. The good news is that, with the right tools and understanding, panic attacks can become much less disruptive over time.
Why Do Panic Attacks Happen?
Panic attacks occur when the body’s fight-or-flight system is triggered sometimes without any apparent danger. This response is governed by the autonomic nervous system.
Triggers can include:
Ongoing stress
Past trauma
Poor sleep
Excess caffeine
Unhelpful thinking patterns
Understanding the physiological basis of a panic attack can make it feel less frightening. Your body is trying to protect you but the alarm is misfiring – like fire brigade turning up at your home but you’ve just burned the toast!
How to Know It’s a Panic Attack
t’s important to rule out medical causes. If symptoms are new or unusual, always check in with your GP.
Common signs of a panic attack include:
Rapid or pounding heart
Dizziness or feeling faint
Sweating or chills
Chest tightness
Feeling detached or unreal
A sense of doom or fear of dying
What To Do During a Panic Attack
These techniques may not stop the panic immediately, but they can reduce the intensity and help you move through the experience safely.
Acknowledge the Panic
Remind yourself: “This is a panic attack. It will pass. I am safe.”
Focus on Your Breathing
Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique:
Inhale for 4 seconds
Hold your breath for 7 seconds
Exhale slowly for 8 seconds
Repeat 4 times
This helps calm your nervous system and re-centre your body.
Ground Yourself: 5-4-3-2-1 Technique
Use your senses to bring yourself back to the present. Name:
5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
Challenge the Thought
Ask yourself:
“Is there real danger here?”
“Have I felt this way before and come through it?”
“Is this worried thought a fact or is it a feeling?”
Move Your Body
Gentle movement even standing, walking, or stretching can help regulate your nervous system. If possible, change your environment or step away from the trigger. Doing something else, however small, can help shift your focus.
When to Seek Support
If you regularly experience panic attacks, counselling or psychotherapy can be helpful. A trained professional can work with you to explore the triggers, thoughts and experiences that may underlie your anxiety and help you develop tools to feel more in control.
Need Support?
I’m Caroline Crotty, a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist based here in Cork city. If panic attacks or anxiety are impacting your life, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You’re not alone and support is available.
Talk Therapy in Cork City: Supporting Adults, Teenagers and Professionals
Are you looking for a counsellor or psychotherapist in Cork city centre?
Whether you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, navigating a difficult period or need a space to talk things through, talk therapy can provide valuable support.
My name is Caroline Crotty and I am a psychology graduate and qualified psychotherapist offering confidential counselling and psychotherapy for adults and adolescents in the heart of Cork city. I also provide a supportive space for professionals and business owners seeking a sounding board for workplace stress, burnout or important life decisions.
What is Talk Therapy?
The word therapy covers talking therapies such as psychotherapy and counselling. Whether you are coming to therapy with a particular issue, a general sense of unease or a deeper search for purpose and meaning, therapy offers a safe, confidential place to talk to a trained professional about your feelings and concerns. Therapy can help you to see things from a different perspective, break free from old unhelpful patterns, heal past traumas and increase self-confidence.
Talk therapy allows you to explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours in a private, non-judgemental environment. It can help you to:
Understand emotional patterns
Cope with anxiety, stress, or low mood
Build healthier relationships
Manage life transitions or personal challenges
Improve self-awareness and emotional regulation
Sessions are tailored to your specific needs and can be short-term or longer-term.
Why Choose Therapy in Cork City Centre?
My practice is located centrally, close to Patrick Street and the South Mall, making it easily accessible by foot or public transport.
I aim to respond to each person’s needs by offering flexible scheduling, including early morning appointments from 08:00 and evening sessions. I accommodate new appointments as soon as my diary allows, though not on the same day.
Therapy for Adults and Adolescents
I work with:
Teenagers with challenges such as exam stress, low self-confidence, family issues, or peer-related challenges
Adults who are feeling anxious, dealing with burnout, relationship issues or work-related stress
Whether you’re a parent concerned for your teen, or a person seeking support for yourself, talk therapy can provide the ideal place to process, heal and to grow.
Support for Professionals and Business Owners
Managing a business or holding a leadership role can be emotionally demanding. I offer a confidential, focused space to reflect on challenges, strengthen resilience and support you to make informed decisions.
This service may be particularly helpful if you are:
Experiencing high stress or feel they’re heading for burnout
Facing leadership or communication challenges or difficulties
Struggling with work-life boundaries
In need of an objective, professional sounding board
What to Expect
Each session is 50 minutes and takes place in a calm, private setting. As a psychology graduate my approach is grounded in evidence-based practice, and I work collaboratively (with you) to find what best supports your goals.
I have a deep understanding of the challenges in life that we can sometimes face and have worked both in the voluntary and the private sector. Working together I can help you find an in-depth understanding of yourself, of who you are and help you to resolve internal conflicts.
You’re welcome to attend an initial session to see if we’re a good fit. My fee for all appointments – whether online or in person – is €80.00.
Book an Appointment
If you’re looking for a counsellor, psychotherapist or talk therapist in Cork city centre – feel free to contact me to check appointment availability or to arrange an initial consultation.
Stress and anxiety are natural elements of life, but learning how to reduce stress and anxiety can significantly improve our wellbeing. Fortunately, there are evidence-backed techniques that empower you to take control of your emotional and mental health.
Effective, Evidence-Based Techniques
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a powerful technique that involves focusing our attention on the present moment, maintaining an awareness of thoughts, feelings, and environment through a compassionate and accepting lens. Originating in Buddhist meditation, secular mindfulness practice is now mainstream. Numerous studies demonstrate its effectiveness in reducing stress and anxiety. By cultivating mindfulness, we can develop an increased awareness of our thoughts and feelings, allowing us to respond to stressors more clearly and calmly. We might begin by paying attention to whatever is around us by looking at the sky, the colours of leaves, feeling our feet on the ground while noticing our breath – that is being present and mindful, and we can do it wherever and whenever.
Physical Exercise
Physical exercise is a game-changer. Keep moving – as long as your body allows – regardless of age. Engaging in regular physical exercise is beneficial for our physical and mental health. Exercise releases endorphins, natural mood-boosting chemicals. It also reduces stress hormones and improves sleep, all contributing to a decrease in stress and anxiety levels. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most weekdays.
A Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle plays a crucial role in managing stress and anxiety. Ensure you get enough sleep and prioritise a balanced diet with nutrient-rich foods. Limit the intake of caffeine and alcohol, which can contribute to anxiety symptoms. Stay hydrated with water. Additionally, practising good time management and setting realistic goals can reduce feelings of overwhelm and stress. You might find the guide to better sleep helpful.
Supportive Network
Social support is essential for coping with stress and anxiety. Loneliness can impact health and wellbeing. Cultivate strong relationships with friends, family, or support groups who can provide understanding, empathy and encouragement. Research suggests that having a reliable support network can buffer the adverse effects of stress and enhance our overall wellbeing. Join a group if you feel isolated. Phone the Samaritans any time, day or night, on 116123 (no charge from mobile or landline).
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a well-established, evidence-based approach to managing stress and anxiety. CBT helps identify and challenge negative thought patterns and replace them with more realistic and helpful thoughts. Reframing our perceptions and beliefs can reduce anxiety and improve our ability to cope with stressors. Courses can be found at: CCI Health Self-Help Resources.
Self-Care
Engaging in self-care activities is crucial for stress management. Make time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation, such as hobbies, reading, listening to music, or spending time in nature. Setting aside regular periods for self-care helps replenish our energy, promotes emotional wellbeing, and reduces the impact of stressors. There are some self-care tips here.
Finally, reducing stress and anxiety is possible through evidence-based strategies. We can take proactive steps towards improving our mental wellbeing by incorporating mindfulness, exercise, healthy lifestyle choices, social support, cognitive-behavioural techniques, and self-care activities into our daily routines. It is vital to tailor these to your individual needs (cut your cloth according to your measure) and consult a mental health professional if you require additional support.
