ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
Work-related stress is a widespread problem among young adults, frequently intensified by job insecurity and the challenges of managing personal and work obligations. This study assesses the efficacy of three mindfulness breathing techniques, diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, and alternate nostril breathing, in reducing stress levels among young, employed individuals aged 18 to 35. The study was carried out in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. It utilized a quantitative approach and employed structured online questionnaires that were distributed to 390 participants. The data was analyzed using SPSS, which involved the use of descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and Spearman's rank correlation. The results suggest that both box breathing and alternative nostril breathing have a considerable impact on reducing stress levels. Furthermore, there is a strong negative relationship between the frequency of practicing these techniques and the amount of stress reduction experienced. The study found that box breathing resulted in a mean stress reduction difference of 0.448 (t = 5.436, p < 0.001), whereas alternate nostril breathing had a mean difference of 0.383 (t = 4.999, p < 0.001). Diaphragmatic breathing yielded inconsistent outcomes, with an average deviation of 0.110 (t= 1.685, p > 0.05) and a moderate inverse correlation. This indicates that the effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing varies depending on an individual's skill level and period of practice. This study emphasizes the potential of mindfulness breathing methods as non-pharmacological therapies for effectively controlling work-related stress. It emphasizes the significance of integrating these methods into workplace wellness initiatives to improve employee welfare and efficiency. The study's constraints, such as the use of self-reported data and convenience sampling, indicate areas for future investigation, highlighting the importance of longitudinal studies and diverse participant populations to examine the lasting advantages and wider relevance of these interventions.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The Job Demands-Resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940710733115
Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond. Guilford Press.
Bliese, P. D., Edwards, J. R., & Sonnentag, S. (2017). Stress and well-being at work: A century of empirical trends reflecting theoretical and societal influences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 389–402.
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385–396.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The Job Demands-Resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499
Eby, L. T., Allen, T. D., Conley, K. M., Williamson, R. L., Henderson, T. G., & Mancini, V. S. (2019). Mindfulness-based training interventions for employees: A qualitative review of the literature. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 40(2), 115–134.
Epe, S., Singh, N., & Balkrishna, A. (2021). Alternate nostril breathing at different rates and its effects on heart rate variability and blood pressure. Clinical and Epidemiological Research in Health and Disease.
Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57(1), 35–43.
Hakanen, J. J., & Bakker, A. B. (2017). Born and bred to burn out: A life-course view and reflections on job burnout. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 354–364.
Hyland, P. K., Lee, R. A., & Mills, M. J. (2015). Mindfulness at work: A new approach to improving individual and organizational performance. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 8(4), 576–602.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Delta.
Ma, X., Yue, Z. Q., Gong, Z. Q., Zhang, H., Duan, N. Y., Shi, Y. T., Wei, G. X., & Li, Y. F. (2017). The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 874.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
Saoji, A. A., Raghavendra, B. R., & Manjunath, N. K. (2019). Effects of yogic breath regulation: A narrative review of scientific evidence. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 10(1), 50–58.
Telles, S., Singh, N., & Balkrishna, A. (2016). Alternate nostril breathing at different rates and its effects on the heart rate variability and blood pressure. International Journal of Yoga, 9(2), 66–71.
World Health Organization. (2020). Mental health in the workplace. Retrieved from https://www.who.int
Mohamed, H., Jacob, A., Hussain, M. A. M. B., & Mohamed, M. H. B. (2025). Effects of Mindful Breathing Techniques on Work-Related Stress. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 14(4), 1399-1410.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode