Diaphragmatic Breathing (deep belly breathing with extended exhales) is a physiological regulation technique that engages the diaphragm to slow respiratory rate and reduce autonomic fight-or-flight arousal.
Shallow chest breathing signals the brain that an emergency is occurring. Extending your exhale longer than your inhale stimulates vagal nerve activity, signaling physical safety to the nervous system:
Techniques like paced breathing and sensory grounding directly activate the vagus nerve, sending safety signals to the brain stem to turn down autonomic fight-or-flight arousal.
Use the pacer below to guide your breathing rhythm: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, and exhale slowly for 6 seconds.
Camic walks you through breathing pace sessions as a real-time conversation, maintaining a steady cadence, monitoring your distress level, and helping your body settle.
Clark, D.M. (1986). A cognitive approach to panic. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24(4), 461–470. Chen, Y.F. et al. (2017). The effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing relaxation training for reducing anxiety. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 53(4), 329–336.
