Scientists have found that slowing your breathing may help calm the mind, even without actively focusing on your breath

Mindful breathing is often seen as a powerful tool for managing stress and finding calm. But according to new research, it's the slow pace of the breath itself that may make the difference – whether you're consciously focusing on it or not.

We know that taking slow, deep breaths can help us feel calmer, but scientists have long been trying to understand exactly why. While mindfulness and breathwork have both been linked to lower stress levels, some have questioned whether part of their benefit comes from our expectations rather than a direct physical effect. Past studies have suggested that quick, shallow, unfocused breathing may contribute to anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure, while mindfulness (passively observing your breathing) and breathwork (actively changing your breathing) can help us to enter a state of relaxation more quickly. 

A new study presented at the Embodied Minds Summit in Los Angeles in May suggests that mice trained to slow their breathing rate displayed less fear-related behaviours in standard mouse anxiety tests. Neuroscientist Jack Feldman from UCLA says that this new research shows that we do not need to believe in the power of breathwork to experience its benefits. Researchers highlight that it is not a placebo effect, as the mice aren’t aware that slow breathing should calm them down.

Researchers focused on a tiny area of the brain that automatically controls breathing. By using light to activate specific brain cells in mice, they were able to slow the animals' breathing by up to 70%, allowing them to study how breathing rate affects the brain and behaviour. After four weeks, the mice’s breathing rates slowed down not only during sessions, but also between them, suggesting they had been trained to breathe more slowly. 

Mice were then put through a series of experiments to measure anxiety-like behaviour. Those who had been trained to breathe more slowly were significantly less likely to freeze in stressful situations and spent more time exploring open spaces. Control mice were more likely to freeze, and often stuck to dark corners for safety. Researchers suggest this demonstrates that the calming effects of slow breathing may not depend entirely on conscious effort or expectation.

While this study was conducted in mice, the findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that slow breathing may help calm the nervous system, whether we're consciously focusing on it or not. In other words, you don't need to be an expert in mindfulness to benefit from slowing your breath.

The researchers' findings also raise an interesting possibility: that with practice, slower breathing could become more automatic over time. Rather than only turning to breathing exercises when we're stressed, regularly practising calm breathing may help train the body to spend more time in a relaxed state.

While more research is needed to understand whether the same effect occurs in humans, these findings offer another reminder that slowing our breathing may be one of the simplest ways to support our wellbeing. If you're curious about incorporating simple breathing techniques into your day, here are a few to help you get started.

How to practise slow breathing for relaxation

If this research tells us anything, it's that slowing down our breathing may be one of the simplest ways to support our wellbeing. While mindfulness and meditation can be helpful, taking a few slower, steadier breaths is something most of us can do anytime, anywhere. If you'd like to give it a try, these breathing techniques may help you feel calmer, reduce stress, and prepare for a more restful night's sleep.

Box breathing

Also known as 4-4-4-4 breathing, box breathing is a simple breathwork technique to get you started. Breathe out to the count of four, hold your breath for four seconds, then inhale to the count of four, and hold for four. Box breathing can act as a reset, mentally and physically, helping to calm your body and focus your mind. 

Extended exhale breathing

Sometimes called long exhale breathing, this relaxation technique involves breathing in, then making your exhale significantly slower and longer. By slowing your exhale, this stimulates your vagus nerve, signalling for your brain to activate your body’s ‘rest and digest’ move, which can help release muscle tension, lower your heart rate, and calm your thoughts. Some people find it helpful to breathe in for four seconds, hold for seven, then exhale for eight seconds. You can also try roughly doubling how long you exhale – so, for example, if you breathe in for three seconds, breathe out for six. 

Positive affirmation and deep breathing

Combining deep breathing with positive affirmations, this technique takes just 60 seconds and can help aid relaxation and reduce anxiety. Choose an affirmation that feels right for you, such as ‘I am relaxed’ or ‘I am in control’. Take a few slow, deep breaths. As you breathe in, think or quietly say the first part of your affirmation, pause for three seconds, then breathe out, quietly saying or thinking the second half of your affirmation. Repeat the cycle three times. You should gradually start to feel tension release as your body relaxes. 

The power of slowing down

While mindfulness remains a valuable tool for many people, this research suggests that the calming benefits of breathing may not depend on being fully focused on every inhale and exhale. Instead, slowing the breath itself could help signal safety to the body and mind.

For anyone who finds mindfulness challenging, that's an encouraging message. You don't need to do it perfectly to experience the benefits. Sometimes, simply taking a slower breath may be enough to help create a little more calm in your day.