Tinnitus, stress and anxiety: what breathing and mindfulness can do

Stress and tinnitus often feed each other: stress can make tinnitus worse, and tinnitus can be stressful. Breathing and relaxation exercises may help you feel calmer, and mindfulness-based therapy has encouraging but limited evidence for reducing tinnitus distress. If anxiety or low mood is affecting your life, talk to a professional.

Last reviewed: 28 October 2026

By the Tinnitus Haven editorial team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If your tinnitus is new, one-sided, pulsing or comes with hearing loss or dizziness, see a doctor.

How are tinnitus, stress and anxiety connected?

Stress is one of the things that can make tinnitus worse^[1]. Anxiety, depression and sleep disorders are found more often in people with tinnitus, and the more distress tinnitus causes, the more likely they are^[2]. In severe cases tinnitus can lead to anxiety or depression^[3].

Research suggests that when tinnitus is distressing, brain networks for attention and stress become involved, not only hearing areas^[2]. There is a hopeful side to this: much of the burden comes from how we react to the sound, and that reaction can change even when the sound does not^[2].

Do breathing exercises help with tinnitus?

There is no good evidence that breathing exercises reduce tinnitus itself. What they can do is help with stress and anxiety. The NHS suggests relaxing, for example with deep breathing or yoga, as a way to cope with tinnitus^[4], and describes a simple calming technique^[5]:

Get comfortable, sitting with your back supported or lying down, with your feet roughly hip-width apart.
Let your breath flow as deep into your belly as feels comfortable, without forcing it.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Breathe in gently and regularly, counting steadily from 1 to 5 if that helps. Then let the breath flow out gently, counting from 1 to 5 again.
Keep going for at least 5 minutes.

You will get the most from it if you practise regularly, as part of your daily routine, not only when things feel bad^[5].

Does mindfulness help with tinnitus?

Mindfulness-based therapies teach you to notice thoughts, feelings and sounds, including tinnitus, without struggling against them. The research so far:

In a randomised trial with 75 people with chronic tinnitus, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) reduced tinnitus severity more than relaxation therapy, and the difference was still there six months later. Both groups improved^[6].
A 2019 systematic review found seven studies with 425 people. In two of three randomised trials, tinnitus distress fell more with mindfulness than in the comparison group^[7].
A 2022 review concluded that mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies may ease tinnitus distress in the short term, but studies were small and mostly of poor to moderate quality, so the evidence is not yet strong enough for firm recommendations^[8].
NICE includes group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, led by trained practitioners, as one step in its approach to tinnitus-related distress^[1].

What about CBT?

Cognitive behavioural therapy has the most evidence for reducing the impact of tinnitus. It may also slightly reduce depression, although its effect on anxiety is uncertain^[9]. Our guide to CBT for tinnitus explains how it works.

What can I try today?

A few minutes of slow breathing, once or twice a day^[5].
Regular relaxation or gentle movement such as yoga^[4].
Hobbies and activities that take your mind off the tinnitus; focusing on it can make it worse^[4].
Soft background sound instead of total silence^[4].
A support group, where talking to others with tinnitus may help you cope^[4].
A steady sleep routine; see our tinnitus and sleep guide.

When should I get professional help?

See a GP if tinnitus is making you feel anxious or depressed, or is affecting your sleep or concentration^[4]. If you ever feel hopeless or have thoughts of harming yourself, get help now: call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department. NICE recommends immediate referral to a crisis mental health team in this situation^[1].

Tinnitus Haven brings sound therapy, a hearing check and CBT-based lessons together in one calm iPhone app, coming soon to the App Store. Learn more about Tinnitus Haven.

Sources

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Tinnitus: assessment and management (NG155), Recommendations. NICE guideline, 2020.
Mazurek B, Hesse G, Sattel H, et al. S3 Guideline: Chronic Tinnitus. German Society for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (DGHNO-KHC). HNO, 2022. English version of the German AWMF guideline 017/064 (2021).
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), NIH. Tinnitus. 2023.
NHS. Tinnitus. NHS website, 2024.
NHS. Breathing exercises for stress. NHS website, 2026.
McKenna L, Marks EM, Hallsworth CA, Schaette R. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy as a treatment for chronic tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 2017.
Rademaker MM, Stegeman I, Ho-Kang-You KE, et al. The effect of mindfulness-based interventions on tinnitus distress. A systematic review. Frontiers in Neurology, 2019.
Wang B, Gould RL, Kumar P, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis exploring effects of third-wave psychological therapies on hearing-related distress, depression, anxiety, and quality of life in people with audiological problems. American Journal of Audiology, 2022.
Fuller T, Cima R, Langguth B, et al. Cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020.