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Breathing techniques are commonly recommended as a way to manage mild levels of anxiety, but on those days when you’re feeling panicked or stressed it can be challenging to take a moment to pause, inhale, exhale.

However, one simple breathing exercise, in the form of a GIF, could make it a lot easier.

The looping image, which is currently trending on Tumblr, simply instructs you to breathe in time as it moves and changes. The loop takes just eight seconds: four seconds in, and four seconds out. It’s simple, but incredibly effective:

The GIF is quickly spreading on social media, where people have shared how it has helped them remember to breathe.

Anxiety can feel like an an incredibly isolating experience, but it isn't uncommon. In fact, according to beyondblue one in three Australian women will experience anxiety in their lifetime.

While deep breathing exercises like this one can be an effective way to help you reduce feelings of anxiety, it's important to consult with an expert if those symptoms become persistent or impact on how you go about your life.

“We live in a world where every time you speak to someone, they’re stressed. When it becomes ongoing and that worry is really getting in the way of the way you live your life, you’ve got to do something about it," says Danielle Buckley, registered psychologist and senior associate at the Positivity Institute.

"If you do put your hand up, there are things we can do to help you get through that pain ... You don't have to live like this."

Do you find it calming? Let us know in the comments. 

Celebrities who have battled Anxiety Disorder

Kate Moss

Emma Stone

Emma Stone has had a long history of panic attacks, and told USA Today "I just started meditating in January... It's changing my life completely. I'm pretty into it. Once or twice a day, I meditate. That has been the best thing for my mind."

Olivia Munn

Actress Olivia Munn has been very public about her battle with anxiety, revealing to Marie Claire in 2013 that she is "trying to overcome my social anxiety. Its manifested in trichotillomania, a disorder that gives me the urge to pull out my eyelashes."

Adele

Adele told The Rolling Stone in 2011 "I'm scared of audiences... I get shitty scared. One show in Amsterdam, I was so nervous I escaped out the fire exit. I've thrown up a couple of times. Once in Brussels, I projectile-vomited on someone. I just gotta bear it. But I don't like touring. I have anxiety attacks a lot."

Kristen Stewart

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez sought help in January 2014 for her severe anxiety, telling fans in a statement: It has become clear to me and those close to me that after many years putting my work first, I need to spend some time on myself in order to be the best person I can be."

Oprah Winfrey

Kim Basinger

Hollywood Actress, Kim Basinger, has had a history of social anxiety, agoraphobia and panic disorder. Basinger has been open about her mental health issues, and in an interview with Charlie Rose stated: "Fear has been something I've lived with my entire life, the fear of being in public places - which led to anxiety or panic attacks... I stayed in my house and literally cried every day."

Barbra Streisand