The short answer
The quickest way to take the edge off a craving is to breathe out for longer than you breathe in. Try a double sigh (two breaths in through your nose, one long breath out) for a minute. In a Stanford study, five minutes a day of this kind of exhale-focused breathing lifted mood more than the same time spent on mindfulness meditation [1].
Why breathing helps
A craving often comes with a stress response: a faster heart, shallow breathing, a restless body. Slow breathing, and long breaths out in particular, is one of the few ways to calm that response on purpose. It also gives you something to do for the minute or two while the urge peaks.
1. The long exhale
Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4, then out slowly through your mouth for a count of 6 to 8. Repeat for a minute. If counting is too much, just make every breath out longer than the breath in.
2. The double sigh
Breathe in through your nose, then take a second short breath in on top of it to fill your lungs. Then breathe out slowly and fully through your mouth. Repeat for a minute. This is the “cyclic sighing” from the Stanford study, which improved mood and lowered breathing rate more than mindfulness meditation [1].
3. Box breathing
Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4. Repeat four times. The counting keeps your mind busy, which helps when the craving comes with racing thoughts.
When to use which
- Stressed or anxious: the double sigh or the long exhale.
- Racing thoughts: box breathing, for the counting.
- In public: any of them. Nobody can tell you’re doing it.
Urge Buddy has all three as tasks (Long exhale, Double sigh, and Breathe and hold), with a circle that grows and shrinks to breathe along with.
Urge Buddy
When an urge hits, tap your buddy and get something quick to do until it passes. For iPhone, with a 3-day free trial.
Questions
What is the best breathing exercise for cravings?
One where the breath out is longer than the breath in, like the double sigh: two breaths in through the nose, one long breath out through the mouth. A Stanford study found exhale-focused breathing improved mood more than mindfulness meditation.
How long should I breathe to stop a craving?
Start with one minute. Many cravings ease within a few minutes, and a minute of slow breathing is often enough to get past the peak.