Breathing is the most natural thing in the world. We see him breathing in and out about 16 times a minute, and we don’t think anything of it.
But how you breathe can have a huge impact on your body and brain. Studies show that slowing your breathing and focusing on slow, deep inhalations and exhalations can slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.
And according to a recent study by the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University, USA, sighing (short, deep breaths followed by long exhalations) is a good way to reduce stress and boost positive emotions.
So star-crossed lovers of romantic novels who sigh when they’re frustrated in love might be onto something.
A sigh — a short, deep breath followed by a long exhale — is a great way to reduce stress and boost positive emotions.
Slowing down your breathing also helps you fall asleep (a big plus for me). Slow, deep breathing for five minutes three times a day has been shown to reduce the effects of chronic pain.
Yoga fans already know a lot about the importance of focusing on your breath and practicing slow, deep breathing for a few minutes a day to support your well-being.
Science is catching up now. But why is slow breathing so beneficial? I recently interviewed Ian Robertson, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin. He described slow, deep breathing as “an incredibly powerful way to give yourself a little tranquilizer.”
Part of the reason is that “when you’re very busy or stressed, you tend to hold your breath or breathe faster, which can lead to panic,” he adds. I was. Just slowing down your breathing can calm things down, and you’ll feel better surprisingly quickly.
I learned how to control my breathing while making Just One Thing, one of my favorite episodes of the podcast series.
And it has changed lives. When you’re feeling stressed and having trouble falling asleep, a few slow, deep breaths can transform your mood and bring quiet joy into your day.
One way slowing your breathing can help is by affecting special sensors in your brain that detect carbon dioxide levels in your blood. These sensors respond rapidly by releasing or inhibiting the release of a chemical messenger called noradrenaline. Feeling stressed or anxious.
Slowing your breathing not only lowers your noradrenaline levels, but it also activates the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system, which controls how your body works at rest, slowing your heart and lowering your blood pressure. And this has an additional soothing effect.
Professor Robertson calls slow breathing “the most accurate medication you can self-administer,” with the bonus of no side effects. “It works like a little reset button in your brain.”
Yoga fans already know a lot about the importance of focusing on your breath and practicing slow, deep breathing for a few minutes a day to support your well-being.
There are many ways to do this, such as breathing in deeply for a count of four, holding your breath for a count of two, and exhaling for a count of four. It is also known as his 4:2:4 and is taught by the military and paramedics as a way to reduce stress.
I think it’s very effective, especially when you’re drowsy and have trouble falling asleep in the middle of the night.
But is it really the best way to breathe when it comes to reducing stress and anxiety? That’s what researchers at Stanford University wanted to know.
Their study, published earlier this month in the journal Cell, recruited 108 volunteers and divided them into four groups.
One group sighed cyclically for five minutes a day, inhaled slowly, followed by another short inhalation to fully inflate the lungs, and then exhaled as long as possible.
The second group performed box breathing – inhaling, holding the breath, exhaling, and holding the exhaled breath. A third group did cyclical hyperventilation, which is pretty scary. After taking a deep breath, he exhales 30 very short breaths before exhaling completely. And try not to faint.
A fourth group was asked to practice mindfulness meditation for five minutes a day, which has been proven to reduce anxiety. The idea is to sit quietly and focus on your breath without consciously trying to control it. (There are many apps that can help you do this, or you can sign up for a mindfulness course.)
After eight weeks, all study participants reported significant reductions in anxiety, but those with periodic sighs benefited the most when it came to reduced stress and more positive emotions.
Researchers believe that any form of controlled breathing can be superior to meditation if you do it for at least a few minutes a day. from your thoughts.
They find periodic breathing particularly effective. This appears to be particularly effective in inducing parasympathetic autonomic changes. This slows your heart rate and makes you feel more calm.
I tried it and it works fine. The only downside? If you do it when there are other people around, it sounds as if you are resentful.
