Why “Just Breathe” Can Sting.
Breathing Isn’t a Platitude — It’s a Science-Backed Strategy Against Anxiety and Depression.
By Dr. Gregory Lyons, PsyD, LCPC.
8/28/2025.
When someone in the grip of anxiety or depression is told to “just breathe,” it can land like a dismissal, or a feeling that their feelings or symptoms at the moment are not important to their companion who suggested it. It could imply that their suffering is simple, easily fixed, or even exaggerated. For many of my clients, this phrase doesn’t calm them — it aggravates them.
And yet, breathing should not be used as a throwaway line. It can be one of the most reliable, research-backed tools we have for regulating the mind and body. The problem is not breathing itself — it’s how our culture trivializes it.
What Breathing Actually Does in the Body.
Breathing is more than airflow. It’s a direct lever into the nervous system:
Vagus Nerve Activation – Slow, diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, shifting the body into parasympathetic “rest-and-digest” mode. Heart rate lowers, blood pressure stabilizes, muscles loosen.
Amygdala Regulation – Brain imaging studies (including those with experienced monks) show that rhythmic breathing decreases activity in the amygdala, the brain’s fear and alarm center. This literally quiets the stress response.
Prefrontal Cortex Engagement – As the amygdala quiets, the rational, problem-solving part of the brain becomes more accessible. Breathing makes us not just calmer, but clearer.
How Other Cultures Treat Breathing.
In many contemplative traditions, breathing is not secondary — it’s central.
Yoga and Pranayama Individuals who practice this discipline treat breath as a bridge between body and mind.
Martial arts teach controlled breathing to sharpen focus and harness energy.
Monastic traditions use breathing meditation to still the mind, which current studies show strong data through brain scans on how practicing breathing when an individual is experiencing anxiety could possibly rewire stress pathways.
By contrast, Western culture often treats breathing as background noise — something automatic, not worth attention. When brought into therapy or casual advice, it risks being misunderstood as simplistic or patronizing.
Reframing Breathing as Strength Training.
The stigma fades when we reposition breathing as a skill, and not a reflex reply from individuals around you..
Athletes use it to regulate performance under pressure.
Soldiers and first responders practice tactical breathing to maintain clarity in life-threatening conditions.
Executives and performers use breath control to steady nerves before critical presentations.
When framed this way, breathing is not “just” anything. It’s training. It’s resilience. It’s strength.
Techniques Used for Breathing and When to Use Them.
Diaphragmatic Breathing – Daily practice to build baseline calm.
Box Breathing (4-4-4-4) – For high-pressure moments (public speaking, interviews).
4-7-8 Breathing – For winding down at night, reducing rumination.
Resonance Breathing (6 breaths per minute) – For steadying long-term anxiety, improving heart rate variability.
Pairing concentration with a grounding mindfulness practice, such as the “five things you can see, four you can touch…,” can make the process even more effective in moments of acute anxiety.
Breaking the Stigma.
Being told to “just breathe” can often feel like the individual who is suggesting it is delivering the suggestion without context, and without respect for the lived intensity of anxiety and depression. Individuals who are in a crisis moment may feel invalidated when they hear it from a loved one or close friend.
A possible solution is to approach the process as a professional, strength-based, evidence-supported practice — not as casual advice tossed over a shoulder.
The Takeaway
Breathing may not be the ultimate answer to erase anxiety or depression. But it can reset the body’s alarm system, sharpen mental clarity, and create a foothold in moments that feel overwhelming. It would also be beneficial to seek help by engaging with a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor or therapist to identify the root causes, or “triggers,” of why these symptoms may be appearing.
Breathing is one of the most accessible, portable, and powerful tools we have — if we learn to respect it, practice it, and reclaim it from stigma.