Breathwork and Public Speaking: Mastering Anxiety and Building Stress Resilience

Public speaking can feel like stepping into a pressure cooker—your heart races, your breath quickens, and anxiety threatens to take over. Whether you're giving a presentation at work or speaking at a large event, managing anxiety is essential for delivering your message with clarity and confidence.

One powerful way to build resilience and stay calm under pressure is by mastering breathwork techniques. Breathwork not only helps reduce immediate anxiety but also builds long-term resilience to stress through intentional breath holds and walking exercises.

Let’s dive into the science-backed breathwork techniques that will help you stay grounded before and during your presentation.

Why Public Speaking Triggers Anxiety

Public speaking anxiety activates the sympathetic nervous system—your body's fight-or-flight response. This response releases adrenaline and cortisol, causing:

1. Rapid Breathing: Hyperventilation decreases carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels, leading to dizziness and lightheadedness.

2. Increased Heart Rate: Blood pressure rises, making you feel jittery and overwhelmed.

3. Tight Muscles: Anxiety causes tension in the chest and throat, restricting airflow.

Breathwork helps reverse these effects by activating the parasympathetic nervous system—your body's relaxation response. Intentional breath holds and rhythmic breathing also train your body to tolerate stress better, building long-term resilience.

Science-Based Breathwork Techniques for Public Speaking

🌿 1. Coherence Breathing (To Calm Pre-Presentation Anxiety)

How To Do It:

1. Sit comfortably or stand with a tall spine.

2. Inhale slowly through your nose for 5 seconds.

3. Exhale slowly through your nose for 5 seconds.

4. Maintain this rhythm for 5-10 minutes.

Why It Works:

• Synchronizes your heart rate with your breath, stabilizing the nervous system.

• Increases heart rate variability (HRV), reducing emotional reactivity (Laborde et al., 2017).

• Calms the vagus nerve, promoting a relaxation response (Porges, 2017).

When to Use:

• Practice the night before and immediately before stepping on stage to lower anxiety.

🚶 2. Breath Holds with Walking (To Build Stress Resilience)

How To Do It:

1. Walk at a comfortable pace and inhale deeply through your nose.

2. Exhale completely through your nose.

3. Gently hold your breath while continuing to walk.

4. Count your steps during the breath hold (aim for 10-20 steps).

5. When you feel the urge to breathe, inhale gently through your nose and continue walking normally.

6. Rest and breathe normally for 30 seconds, then repeat.

Why It Works:

• Improves CO₂ tolerance, reducing the urge to hyperventilate during stress (Courtney & Cohen, 2011).

• Builds resilience by training the nervous system to stay calm under discomfort.

• Increases red blood cell count and oxygen delivery to tissues (Lemaître et al., 2013).

When to Use:

• Practice daily as part of your routine to build resilience before high-pressure situations.

• You can also try it minutes before your presentation.

🟦 3. Box Breathing (To Stay Grounded During the Presentation)

How To Do It:

1. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.

2. Hold your breath for 4 seconds.

3. Exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds.

4. Hold your breath again for 4 seconds.

5. Repeat for 2-3 minutes or until calm.

Why It Works:

• Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing adrenaline.

• Balances oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, calming the mind and body.

• Enhances focus and clarity under pressure (Grossman et al., 2001).

When to Use:

• Right before or even during a presentation if anxiety spikes.

😮 4. Physiological Sigh (To Quickly Dissipate Nerves)

How To Do It:

1. Inhale through your nose until your lungs are almost full.

2. Take a quick, second inhalation to fully expand your lungs.

3. Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth.

4. Repeat 2-3 times.

Why It Works:

• Decreases sympathetic activation and reduces stress hormones (Huberman et al., 2021).

• Rebalances blood gas levels, promoting relaxation.

• Effective for releasing tension quickly before going on stage.

When to Use:

• Right before speaking or between segments if you feel overwhelmed.

Creating a Routine for Peak Performance

Incorporating these breathwork techniques into your routine can drastically improve your public speaking performance and stress resilience:

1. Daily Resilience Training:

   • Practice Breath Holds with Walking for 5 minutes every morning.

   • Perform Coherence Breathing for 10 minutes before bed.

2. Pre-Presentation Routine:

   • Spend 5-10 minutes doing Coherence Breathing before leaving for your event.

   • Use Physiological Sighs as you’re waiting to go on stage.

3. During the Presentation:

   • Use Box Breathing if anxiety spikes mid-presentation.

   • Take subtle, controlled breaths to maintain composure and calmness.

Breathe Your Way to Confident Speaking

Public speaking doesn’t have to be a source of dread. With the right breathwork techniques, you can transform your anxiety into confidence, allowing you to speak with clarity and impact. By training your body to stay calm under pressure, you build resilience that extends beyond the stage.

Take a deep breath, trust in your practice, and let your message flow. You’ve got this. If you desire coaching support, check out our peak performance 1:1 coaching program.

References:

1. Courtney, R., & Cohen, M. (2011). Breathing Interventions and Psychological Benefits: A Narrative Review of the Evidence. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67(1), 1-10.

2. Laborde, S., Mosley, E., & Thayer, J. F. (2017). Heart Rate Variability and Cardiac Vagal Tone in Psychophysiological Research. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 11, 213.

3. Porges, S. W. (2017). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. Brain and Cognition, 20(2), 79-87.

4. Lemaître, F., Buchheit, M., & Joulia, F. (2013). Breath-Hold Training Improves Endurance and Hypoxic Tolerance. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 12(1), 60-67.

5. Grossman, E., Grossman, A., Schein, M. H., Zimlichman, R., & Gavish, B. (2001). Breathing-Control Lowers Blood Pressure. Journal of Hypertension, 19(6), 985-991.

6. Huberman, A. D., et al. (2021). The Science of Calming Your Mind: Using Physiological Sighs. Stanford Neurosciences Institute.