One Breath at a Time: Trauma-Informed Tools to Settle Your Nervous System
Breath is both a reflection of our internal state and a powerful tool for change. When the nervous system is dysregulated—whether from anxiety, panic, or chronic stress—breathing often becomes shallow, fast, or uneven. By slowing and guiding the breath with intention, we can begin to send signals of safety back to the body and mind.
For those who have experienced trauma, reconnecting with the breath can be a meaningful but sometimes vulnerable process. Because trauma lives in the body, turning inward to focus on the breath can feel overwhelming—it asks you to pay attention to sensations you may have learned to avoid.
The breathing techniques below are designed to support nervous system regulation in ways that are gentle, accessible, and adaptable. Each offers a different pathway into self-regulation. The most effective one is the one that feels supportive and manageable for where you are right now. If you’re reconnecting with your breath after trauma, go slowly. There’s no rush. Building tolerance for being present in your body takes time—and you get to move at a pace that feels right for you.
1. Box Breathing
Box breathing is a simple, structured technique that can help restore balance to the nervous system. It’s often used by athletes, first responders, and in trauma therapy to anchor attention and regulate breathing.
How to Practice:
Inhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4 counts
Exhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4 counts
Repeat for 3–5 minutes
Why it helps:
The even structure supports activation of the parasympathetic nervous system—the branch of your nervous system that helps calm the body after stress.
2. Paced Breathing
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches “paced breathing” as part of distress tolerance skills. It emphasizes lengthening the exhale, which is known to help reduce arousal and anxiety.
How to Practice:
Breathe deeply into your belly
Slow the pace of inhaling and exhaling down to five or six breaths a minute
Breathe out more slowly then you breathe in, for example in for a count of 5 out for a count of 7
Why it helps:
Longer exhales signal the vagus nerve to activate a calming response in the body. This practice is simple, effective, and can be done anywhere.
3. 4-7-8 Breathing
This technique, popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil, uses longer breath holds to support deeper relaxation and has been shown to help with sleep and anxiety.
How to Practice:
Inhale through your nose for 4 counts
Hold your breath for 7 counts
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 counts
Repeat 4 times
Why it helps:
According to Dr. Andrew Weil, the 4-7-8 breathing technique acts as a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. The breath-hold creates a pause that allows the body to settle, while the slow exhale helps release tension and supports a shift into a more relaxed state.
4. Color Breathing
For trauma survivors, focusing too much on internal body sensations can sometimes feel overwhelming. Color breathing offers a gentler approach that uses visualization to engage the imagination and promote calm.
How to Practice:
Choose a calming color (like blue, green, or pink)
With each inhale, picture that color flowing in, carrying a sense of calm or strength with it
As you exhale, imagine a different color (such as gray or red) leaving your body, taking tension or fear with it
Continue with a few slow rounds
Why it helps:
This method adds a layer of external focus that may feel safer for those who find interoceptive awareness (internal body focus) overwhelming.
5. Coherence Breathing
Coherence breathing involves slowing the breath to a steady rhythm—typically about 5–6 breaths per minute—to support heart rate variability (HRV) and nervous system balance. For trauma survivors, following a visual cue (like a shape expanding and contracting) can make the practice feel safer and more accessible.
How to Practice:
Use a breathwork app on a phone or mobile device that guides your breathing rhythm.
Let the visual rhythm guide your breath.
Apps to Try:
The Breathing App (free): A simple coherence breathing timer with visual pacing.
Inner Balance by HeartMath (paid, requires a biofeedback sensor): Offers real-time HRV biofeedback and coherence coaching.
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Breathwork
Not every breathing technique will feel good or safe right away—and that’s okay. Start with the technique that feels least activating and most doable. Use external anchors (like color or a visual shape) if internal focus is difficult. And always, go at your own pace.
If a practice feels too intense, stop. Come back to it another time or try something else. Breathwork is something you can build slowly over time—the aim isn’t perfection, but learning to be present with yourself.
