Quickly Reduce Stress with Simple Breathing Techniques

Did you know you have one of the fastest tools to reduce stress with you at all times- your breath. Just by changing your breathing pattern you can dial down the stress response and start to calm down quickly.

By slowing down each breath, deepening each breath, or making your exhales longer than your inhales—you can quickly activate the calming branch of your nervous system, the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). Activating the PNS turns off the Fight or Flight response and promotes relaxation and healing. Usually, a few minutes is all it takes to start feeling calmer and more at ease.

I’ve included a video with Stanford neurobiology professor, Dr. Andrew Huberman, for you to try a practice for yourself. The practice works quickly (usually just a few breaths) and research shows that practicing for just 5 minutes a day can reduce anxiety and improve your mood.

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Citations:

https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2023/02/09/cyclic-sighing-can-help-breathe-away-anxiety/