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.
Cope With Panic Attacks
How to Cope With Panic Attacks
Understanding Panic Attacks
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.
