Prolonged stress is mainly due to extended periods of being in ‘flight-or-fight’ mode. 
Fight-or-flight mode is helpful when you’re being chased by a bear or fleeing a burning building. But these days, many of us are in a mental fight-or-flight mode even when our bodies aren’t under physical duress — think major work deadlines, upsetting news headlines, financial woes, arguments with your spouse and more.
   Breathwork activates your body’s parasympathetic nervous system and helps you to de-escalate and de-stress. 
   There are a variety of breathwork techniques you can try, all of them with a similar goal — to help you destress. It’s all about finding the technique that resonates with you.
  Here’s a look at various types of breathwork practices, what they can do for you and when you might want to try them.
• Diaphragmatic breathing
When you do diaphragmatic breathing, you engage your diaphragm, a powerful muscle at the base of your lungs. Also known as abdominal breathing or belly breathing, this technique has been shown to help lower blood pressure and heart rate, and it’s especially beneficial for people with lung conditions.
• Box breathing
Box breathing is one of the simplest and most common forms of yogic deep breathing.
Like a box, which has four sides, this technique has four steps: Four counts of breathing in, four counts of holding your breath, four counts of exhaling and four more counts of holding after your exhale.
• 4-7-8 breathing
The 4-7-8 breathing technique can be done while sitting comfortably or lying down before bedtime. The numbers refer to how long you inhale (four counts), hold (seven counts) and exhale (eight counts.) This kind of breathing can help you focus your mind and body away from worries and repetitive thoughts.