Finding calm

Finding calm: Breathing and grounding exercises

Have you been feeling more on edge than usual? Can’t seem to wind down and feel fully relaxed?

If so, you’re not alone. Many people across Australia say they’re feeling stressed. You might find it helpful to learn some simple ways to slow things down and steady yourself.

Grounding and breathing exercises can help bring your attention back to the present moment and create a sense of calm during difficult moments. They are simple techniques for managing stress and strong emotions, not a way to avoid or suppress them.

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How stress affects your body and mind

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When you learn ways to settle your thoughts, it gets easier to focus, make decisions and respond to stress with more confidence.

The physical feelings of stress are a normal part of your body’s threat response. It’s an ancient system that’s evolved over thousands of years to keep you safe. But in modern life, it can switch on more often than you need.

Watch this video to learn how stress affects your body and mind, and what can happen when you practice simple self‑care habits.

These small steps can help your body settle and make tough moments feel more manageable.

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How to breathe well

If you want to feel more relaxed, breathing is a powerful way to get there.
By controlling your breathing you can help control your stress response.

Even though you’ve been breathing your whole life, there’s a bit of science behind doing it in a way that helps your body calm down.

Research shows that you can make yourself feel anxious just by breathing faster. Lots of people breathe shallowly from the chest. It’s a normal habit, especially when you’re stressed or busy.

But we know that slow, deep belly breathing is much better for your body and that when you slow your breathing, you send a signal to your body and brain that you’re safe.

When you breathe this way, your stomach rises as you inhale and softens as you exhale. This helps your body switch out of stress mode and into a steadier, more relaxed state.

Two-minute guided breathing

Breathe deeply from your stomach, instead of shallowly from your chest. Try placing the palm of your hand on your belly, to feel it expanding and contracting with your breath.
Breathe slowly through your nose if you can, instead of through your mouth.
Keep your focus on slowing your breathing down. Even small changes in the pace of your breathing can help your body settle.
Practice, practice, practice, so your body becomes used to breathing this way.

A quick breathing reset

Every now and then, take a moment to notice how you’re breathing as you move through your day.

If your breath feels fast or shallow, pause and take three slow belly breaths. It takes about 12 seconds and no one around you will notice. See if your breathing feels a bit steadier afterwards.

As you keep checking in with your breath, slower and deeper breathing starts to feel more natural. It’s like any skill – it gets easier with practice. Keep going.

How to stay grounded

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Grounding is a simple but surprisingly effective way to be in the ‘here and now’. It brings you down to earth rather than ‘inside your head’ and helps calm you down.

Just like an anchor being dropped off the side of a boat, ‘grounding’ is a technique to return you to the present moment when you’re feeling strong emotions.

Because if you’re human, you probably have the habit of spending too much time thinking about issues in the past you can’t change or imagining problems in the future that haven’t even happened yet – and might not. This can raise your stress levels but do nothing to change or improve your situation.

There are lots of different ways to ground yourself in the present moment. Get creative about how you return yourself to ‘now’ and find a practice that you like to do.

5-4-3-2-1: A grounding practice

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Slow down and take a moment to tune into your breathing and become aware of the environment you’re currently in.

Research shows that ‘turning up the volume’ on what’s happening in the present moment can help ‘turn down the volume’ on distressing thoughts and reduce stress.

The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is just one way to achieve this. It’s a great way because you can do it anywhere, anytime.