Breathing techniques do work to calm people down. It doesn't cure an anxiety disorder, but it can help a bit with anxiety. A significant part of this is not just the technique, it's the fact that it's been gamified. Virtual reality is being turned to as a potential tool for all sorts of mental health issues.
Madeleine Finlay speaks to science correspondent Linda Geddes about trying out a virtual reality game that challenges you to keep your heart-rate down while facing a terrifying monster, why it could help with tackling anxiety, and whether the gamification of coping strategies could be the best way to integrate them into our every day lives. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod