We breathe thousands of times a day yet rarely pay attention to it. Breathwork invites us to slow down and reconnect with something we already do
CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in Happiful
From mouth taping to moon-piercing breath, a new breathing trend seems to appear on social media every other week. Some are a little unconventional, some are genuinely useful and many fall somewhere in between.
But behind the buzzwords and viral clips, there is a quieter shift happening. More people are starting to pay attention to something we do constantly yet rarely think about.
What Is Breathwork?
At its simplest, breathwork is the practice of consciously controlling your breath to support how you feel. There are no complicated rules or special tools involved.
In a world full of wellness shortcuts and optimisations, breathwork is refreshingly intuitive. It brings us back to basics, reminding us that feeling better does not always require adding more. Sometimes it means noticing what is already there.
The Everyday Thing We Forget We’re Doing
We breathe around 17 to 20 times a minute, which adds up to roughly 20,000 breaths a day. And yet, most of us could not describe how we are breathing right now without stopping to check.
We know breathing keeps us alive, of course. What we often forget is how closely it is linked to how we think, move and experience stress throughout the day.
How Breath Shapes the Way We Feel
A few slow, deep belly breaths can be enough to gently bring us back into the present moment. When attention shifts to the breath, mental noise tends to soften. The body settles. The mind follows.
This simple act of pausing can create space between us and whatever feels overwhelming, even if nothing around us has changed.
And this experience is not just anecdotal.
What the Research Tells Us
Imagine a busy Monday morning with a long to-do list and a full inbox. Without realising it, you may start holding your breath or breathing more shallowly. To the nervous system, this can register as a threat response.
Shallow breathing reduces how efficiently oxygen is delivered around the body. Over time, this can affect cognitive performance, immune function, and emotional regulation.
Research published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioural Reviews found that even short-term drops in blood oxygen levels were linked to reduced concentration and memory recall. A 2022 study in Frontiers in Psychology also associated faster, shallower breathing with poorer task and motor performance.
Slower breathing showed the opposite effect. In a 2017 study, participants who practised diaphragmatic breathing experienced lower cortisol levels, the hormone most closely linked with stress.
Simple Breathing Practices to Try
3-4-5 Breathing
Breathe in through the nose for three counts, hold for four, and exhale through the nose for five. A longer exhale helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, encouraging relaxation.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Place one hand on your belly and one on your chest. Breathe in through the nose, allowing the belly to rise, while keeping the chest relatively still. Exhale slowly and fully.
Lion’s Breath
Inhale through the nose, then exhale through the mouth while sticking out the tongue and making a gentle “ha” sound. This expressive breath can help release built-up tension.
Box Breathing
Inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, then hold again for four. The steady rhythm can calm mental chatter and restore balance.
A Quiet Reset
Breathwork does not need to be formal or time-consuming. It can happen while you are waiting in line, walking outside, or winding down at night.
When you bring even a small amount of awareness to your breath, you give your body the opportunity to reset. Often, that gentle pause is enough to change how the rest of the day feels.
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