Skip to main content

Relaxed Breathing

Practising Relaxed Breathing serves to reduce physiological arousal and can be an excellent grounding technique. This client information handout describes benefits of relaxed breathing and gives simple instructions for effective diaphragmatic breathing.

Download or send

Choose your language

Professional version

A PDF of the resource, theoretical background, suggested therapist questions and prompts.

Client version

A PDF of the resource plus client-friendly instructions where appropriate.

Editable version (PPT)

An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.

Translation Template

Are you a qualified therapist who would like to help with our translation project?

Tags

Languages this resource is available in

  • Albanian
  • Amharic
  • Armenian
  • Catalan
  • Chinese (Simplified)
  • Czech
  • Dutch
  • English (GB)
  • English (US)
  • Estonian
  • French
  • German
  • Greek
  • Gujarati
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi
  • Hungarian
  • Icelandic
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Kurdish (Sorani)
  • Lithuanian
  • Marathi
  • Norwegian
  • Oromo
  • Pashto
  • Persian (Dari)
  • Polish
  • Portuguese (European)
  • Punjabi
  • Romanian
  • Russian
  • Slovak
  • Slovenian
  • Somali
  • Spanish (International)
  • Swahili
  • Swedish
  • Tigrinya
  • Turkish
  • Ukrainian
  • Urdu
  • Uzbek
  • Welsh

Problems this resource might be used to address

Techniques associated with this resource

Mechanisms associated with this resource

Introduction & Theoretical Background

Relaxed Breathing is an information sheet with clear instructions for carrying out diaphragmatic (relaxed) breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation, and is an excellent first-line soothing or grounding technique. Although instructions are given for breathing to a counted rhythm it can be helpful to guide clients not to become too focused on breathing in the 'right' way – as long as breathing becomes slower and deeper it tends to be helpful.