Shallow breathing is an automatic physical response to anxiety, and shallow breathing can also cause anxiety - it’s a bit of a chicken and egg thing, a loop where it’s hard to find which comes first.

Learning to change your breathing can help you control anxiety and become calm. It sounds very simple, but like all simple truths it can take a while to get the hang of.

Here’s how to get started in controlling your breath to reduce anxiety when it strikes, and better still, to train yourself to feel calm and in control so that anxiety doesn’t catch you unawares.