5 Ways Breathwork Can Radically Improve Your Life

Breathing helps with focus, relaxation and personal awareness. Just think about how your breathing pattern makes you happier or more stressed during the day. There is much to be said about this simple technique.

Personally, I have been using breath work as a tool to manage my stress and anxiety since my college years. It can be as long as a 30 minute meditation or as short as a 60 second box breathing session.

Below you’ll find a list of ways that breath work can change your life.

Many people have practiced breath work to increase personal awareness and to be more mindful and centered in life. There’s also the added benefit that breath work can calm anxiety and help you stay on track with setting healthy boundaries with others in your life.

1. Reduces Anxiety

For those living with anxiety, you know all too well how this mental health illness can deteriorate your confidence and ability to get anything done. Breath work is well-known to help people with anxiety as it helps slow down your breathing to be more relaxed and mindful.

2. Reduces Chronic Pain

When you’re suffering from chronic pain it may be difficult to focus on anything other than how much you hurt. Breath work will change your life if you’re living with chronic pain as it will help put you in a more peaceful, trance-like state of mind so that you’re not focused on the pain.

Here’s a simple breathwork exercise that can help reduce chronic pain by calming the nervous system and improving oxygen flow:

Breathwork for Chronic Pain Relief

The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique
This exercise promotes relaxation and can help ease pain by activating your body’s natural relaxation response.

How to do it:

1. Find a comfortable position—sit or lie down in a quiet space.
2. Inhale for 4 counts through your nose, allowing your belly to rise.
3. Hold your breath for 7 counts to let oxygen circulate.
4. Exhale slowly for 8 counts through your mouth, releasing all tension.
5. Repeat for 4-6 cycles, or as long as feels comfortable.

Why it works:

• Slowing your breath reduces stress and lowers inflammation, which can worsen chronic pain.
• Deep breathing helps shift your body into a parasympathetic (rest and repair) state.

3. Improves Anger Issues

We all go down a path of trauma and negative experiences that can make us angry. Being angry all of the time can cause a major downfall of your physical and mental health. When you use breath work during times of heightened anger, you’ll quickly feel more relaxed and notice that your anger subsides.

4. Post-Traumatic Stress Help

If you’re suffering from PTSD or past trauma that continues to haunt you, then breath work can change your life forever! Many patients have started practicing breath work to overcome those intense feelings during a triggered moment for their post-traumatic stress.

5. Helps With Grief and Loss

Many of us lose our loved ones or a beloved pet at some point in our life. This pain can feel like it will never end. Breath work can help you overcome the heartache, anger, and other emotions that come when you’re grieving from a loss of any type.

When it comes to using breath work to change your life, you’ll find that this practice helps remind you how powerful your mind can be. Just a simple mindfulness practice like breath work can help reduce and eliminate many ailments for you to live a happier life.