Terri,
Yes, I do deep breathing exercises on a regular basis, and they do indeed calm me down tremendously. The great thing about them is that once you get good at doing it (a bit of practice needed, but not all that much) you can do them anywhere, anytime.
In addition to the simple deep breathing, I do something called Yogic 3-part breath, or Durga (sp) breathing. In this breath you first release all air by breathing out and pulling your tummy in, then breathe in, allowing the breath to fill your lower abdomen first, then bringing the breath into your upper abdomen, then into your chest (you may actually feel the breath heading towards your shoulders). You then breath out, SLOWLY, in reverse direction...from the upper chest, upper abdomen, and finally the lower abdomen. You can also hold the breath for a few seconds (or as long as you wish to) at the top of the breath, before breathing out. This expands your lungs and makes them capable of taking in even more air the next breath.
For anyone who wants a guide to learn more breathing techniques, I'd suggest finding a yoga instructor who incorporates these into his/her classes. Best thing I ever did for myself was to start taking yoga lessons about 12 years ago. But you need to find the right instructor...don't go with anyone who teaches "power yoga" which is an oxymoron, lol, or anyone who simply does the same routine over and over again. The Kripalu method is very gentle and takes individual needs into consideration, so you might ask if the instructor is Kripalu-trained.
Ruth
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