Freediving and Breathwork to Overcome Anxiety
The bad news is that anxiety is something many of us are all too familiar with, the good news, is that freediving and breathwork can be used to overcome it .
Whether it’s the butterflies in your stomach before a big meeting, the rapid breathing that accompanies a stressful situation, or the overwhelming sense of dread that creeps in unexpectedly, anxiety can feel like an ever-present shadow. For freedivers, managing anxiety is crucial—not just for mental well-being, but for performance and safety. The connection between breath, mind, and body is at the core of freediving, making breathwork an invaluable tool for managing anxiety and enhancing your diving and life experience.
The Rising Tide of Anxiety: Why It Matters for Freedivers
Over the past few years, anxiety levels have surged worldwide, affecting millions. The World Health Organization has declared anxiety and depression the greatest epidemic of the 21st century. For freedivers, who rely on their breath to explore the underwater world, anxiety poses a unique challenge. The physiological effects of anxiety—rapid, shallow breathing, increased heart rate, and heightened stress—can severely impact a diver’s ability to hold their breath and stay calm underwater.
Freediving demands a relaxed mind and body, where every breath is purposeful and controlled. Understanding the mechanics of anxiety and how breathwork can mitigate its effects is essential for anyone looking to deepen their freediving practice.
The Physiology of Anxiety: How It Affects Freediving
When anxiety strikes, the body’s natural response is to enter fight-flight-freeze mode, activated by the sympathetic nervous system. This response is a survival mechanism, designed to protect us from immediate physical threats. However, in the context of freediving, this response can be counterproductive.
The Amygdala’s Role in Anxiety
The amygdala, an ancient part of the brain responsible for emotions like fear and anger, is the brain’s watchman. When it perceives danger—whether real or imagined—it sends a distress signal that triggers the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones prepare the body to react quickly, which in freediving, can lead to an increased heart rate and rapid, shallow breathing—two things that are detrimental when holding your breath underwater.
For freedivers, the key to overcoming anxiety lies in retraining the body’s response to stress. This is where breathwork comes in, offering a way to reverse engineer the stress response, calm the mind, and maintain control over the body’s physiological reactions.
Breathwork: The Freediver’s Secret Weapon Against Anxiety
Breathwork is not just a technique—it’s a way of life for freedivers. Mastering the breath allows divers to stay underwater longer, explore deeper, and remain calm in situations where anxiety might otherwise take hold. But beyond its practical applications, breathwork also serves as a powerful tool for managing anxiety, both in and out of the water.

Pranayama and Modern Breathwork: Bridging Ancient and Modern Practices
Pranayama, an ancient Indian practice, focuses on controlling the breath to achieve mental clarity and emotional balance. Techniques like ratio breathing, Ujjayi, and Bhastrika have been used for centuries to relax the mind and body, making them particularly beneficial for freedivers.
Modern breathwork builds on these ancient practices, combining breathing exercises with meditation to promote physical, mental, and emotional healing. For freedivers, breathwork can enhance lung capacity, improve CO2 tolerance. Also, promote a state of deep relaxation—all crucial for a successful dive.
Integrating Breathwork into Freediving Practice
Incorporating breathwork into your daily routine can have transformative effects on your freediving performance. Start with simple exercises like diaphragmatic breathing or box breathing. These help calm the nervous system and prepare the body for the demands of freediving. Consistency is key—dedicating even just 10 minutes a day to mindful breathing can yield significant benefits.
Freediving as Medicine: How Breathwork Builds Resilience
The practice of freediving itself can be a powerful remedy for anxiety. By repeatedly exposing yourself to the stresses of holding your breath and diving deep, you train your body and mind to become more resilient. Over time, this resilience extends beyond the water, helping you manage stress and anxiety in everyday life.
The Cumulative Benefits of Better Breathing
Breathing better doesn’t just make you a better freediver—it makes you a healthier, more resilient person overall. Improved breath control enhances every system in your body, from your posture and digestion to your mental clarity and emotional balance. As you build resilience through breathwork and freediving, you’ll find that your capacity to handle stress increases, allowing you to dive deeper into both the ocean and life itself.
Building CO2 Tolerance: A Key to Freediving Success
One of the critical aspects of breathwork for freedivers is building CO2 tolerance. The body’s ability to tolerate higher levels of carbon dioxide is essential for extending breath-hold times and maintaining calm under pressure. Breathwork exercises like CO2 tables, which involve holding your breath for increasing intervals, can help improve this tolerance, making you a more efficient and confident diver.
For more on CO2 tolerance and its role in freediving, explore this article.
Moving Forward: Embrace the Breath, Embrace the Dive
Freediving and breathwork are inextricably linked, offering a powerful combination for managing anxiety and enhancing your overall well-being. As you deepen your practice, you’ll discover that your breath is more than just a tool for diving—it’s a gateway to greater mental clarity, emotional balance, and physical resilience.
Take the time to explore breathwork techniques that resonate with you, and incorporate them into your daily routine. Whether you’re preparing for your next dive or simply looking to manage everyday stress, your breath is a constant ally, ready to support you every step of the way.
Start your journey today, and let your breath lead you to new depths—both in the water and in life.