Which breathing exercise should I try?
By No Rush · Updated October 29, 2026
The short answer
Try two breaths in through your nose and one slow breath out through your mouth, five times. It's one of three breathing exercises that 108 people tried for a month, next to sitting quietly. No exercise came out as the best, and it was a small study, so it can't tell you what will work for you.
What is the best breathing technique to calm down?
Research hasn't found a best one. Melis Yilmaz Balban and colleagues had 108 people practise for five minutes a day for a month, in one of three breathing styles or by sitting quietly. Afterwards, people in all four groups reported feeling less tense, and the groups didn't clearly differ. The study was small, so it doesn't settle the question for you.
What is a cyclic sigh?
You breathe in twice through your nose, the second breath on top of the first, and then let one long breath out through your mouth. It was one of the three exercises in the study by Balban and colleagues. You can do it five times in a row while sitting, and nobody around you has to notice.
How long should a breathing exercise take?
In the study by Balban and colleagues, people practised for five minutes a day. To try it, you don't need longer than that. If you start to feel light-headed, go back to breathing the way you normally do.
In the No Rush app
Under Breathe, the app has three exercises: one for when you're anxious, one for when you're out of breath, and one to relax, where you choose how long it lasts. Each step says whether you breathe through your nose or your mouth.
No Rush app
An iPhone app for people who feel stuck. It sets out one small next step at a time and tells you why that one. It is not therapy.
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Sources
- Balban e.a. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine, 4(1), 100895. doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895
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