In times of stress, you can use the power of your breath to calm feelings of stress or anxiety.

Box breathing is a simple relaxation technique that can help you “reset your breathing” and return it to its normal rhythm.

This video demonstrates box breathing and highlights its benefits.

In short, this involves:

– Imagine breathing around a box
– Inhale as you visualize moving up one side of the box, pause then exhale while you imagine moving down the other side of the box.

In times of stress and anxiety, box breathing is a simple way to slow down and help calm your body and mind.

Many thanks to Dr. Joanna Mansfield, psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Women's Mood and Anxiety Clinic and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Clinic for her expertise and the voice of this box breathing video.

Video produced by Brent Creelman and Jennifer Palisoc of Communications and Stakeholder Relations at Sunnybrook.

For more mental health resources, visit: http://sunnybrook.ca/Psychiatry

If you need assistance in an emergency, please call 911 or visit your local emergency department. If you feel like you are in crisis or need to talk to someone, know that help is available.
Find a local crisis resource: http://sunnybrook.ca/GetHelp

Please take the opportunity to connect and share this video with your friends and family if you find it useful.