Seven Powerful Techniques to Breathe Yourself to Calm (Podcast Episode 325)

It’s something you do about 20,000 times a day: breathing. But don’t be fooled by its simplicity. Breathing isn’t just about keeping you alive; it’s a powerful tool that influences your emotions, thoughts, and overall well-being. Whether you’re feeling scared, excited, worried, happy, or calm, your breath reflects it all. And here’s the best part: by learning to control your breath, you can actually take charge of your emotional state and calm your mind. Today you’ll learn about the science of breathing and how that’s connected to your emotions, and seven specific breathing techniques, including what’s appropriate for different mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and trauma survivors. If you’ve had a hard time with breathing exercises before (or not), today’s episode will help your life.

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Resources for Powerful Techniques to Breathe Yourself to Calm

Join Abby’s One Love Collective on Patreon!

Grab the bundle! Seven Powerful Techniques to Breathe Yourself to Calm

Now available on Amazon! The Workbook: Boundaries Made Easier by Dr. Abby Medcalf

Your People-Pleasing Might Be a Trauma Response

Our Polyvagal World: How Safety and Trauma Change Us by Stephen W. Porges PhD and Seth Porges

BEAUCHAINE, T. (2001). Vagal tone, development, and Gray’s motivational theory: Toward an integrated model of autonomic nervous system functioning in psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 13(2), 183–214. doi:10.1017/S0954579401002012

Sütterlin, S., Schroijen, M., Constantinou, E., Smets, E., & Van Diest, I. (2013). Breath holding duration as a measure of distress tolerance: Examining its relation to measures of executive control. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 47772. https://doi.org/10.3

Mindful Relationships: Seven Skills for Success by B Grace Bullock

Hamasaki, H. (2020). Effects of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Health: A Narrative Review. Medicines, 7(10), 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines7100065

Marchant, J., Khazan, I., Cressman, M. et al. Comparing the Effects of Square, 4–7-8, and 6 Breaths-per-Minute Breathing Conditions on Heart Rate Variability, CO2 Levels, and Mood. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-025-09688-z

Lambert, Hugh H. (2023). “What Do Navy SEALs and CPAs Have in Common? Mental Toughness.” New Accountant .792, 14-17.

Mailoo, Venthan J. “Single-nostril breathing to influence cognitive and autonomic functions.” Indian Journal of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. Oct – Dec. 2008, Vol. 2, No. 4

Carroll, L. (2021). Respiratory Dynamics: Function and Breath Management. In: Bard, R.L. (eds) Image-Guided Management of COVID-19 Lung Disease. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66614-9_9

Ramirez, J. (2014). The Integrative Role of the Sigh in Psychology, Physiology, Pathology, and Neurobiology. Progress in Brain Research, 209, 91-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63274-6.00006-0

McCraty, R., & Zayas, M. A. (2014). Cardiac coherence, self-regulation, autonomic stability, and psychosocial well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 104218. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01090

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