The physiological sigh
Two breaths in through the nose, one long breath out. A few minutes of it can settle a stressed body.
Key takeaways
- Breathe in through your nose, top up with a second short breath, then breathe out slowly through your mouth.
- The long breath out is what matters most. Do two or three rounds, or keep going for up to five minutes.
- Five minutes a day lifted people's mood over a month, more than the same time spent on mindfulness meditation.
What it is
You already do this without thinking: when you're stressed, relieved or about to cry, your body takes a deep breath, a little extra on top, and lets it out in a long sigh.
Done on purpose, it's one of the simplest ways to settle a body that's revved up. The long breath out does most of the work: breathing out slows the heart a little, and a slow exhale tilts your nervous system toward calm.
In a month-long study comparing breathing exercises, people who did five minutes of this every day saw their mood improve more than people who spent the same five minutes on mindfulness meditation.
How to do it
One round
- Breathe in through your nose
A normal, full breath.
- Top it up
Without breathing out, take a second, shorter sniff in to fill your lungs completely.
- Breathe out slowly
Through your mouth, long and slow, until your lungs feel empty. Make it longer than the breaths in.
- Repeat
Two or three rounds can take the edge off. For a bigger effect, keep going for up to five minutes.
If it makes you light-headed, slow down, or go back to breathing normally for a bit.
Question 1 of 2
Which part of the physiological sigh matters most?
Talk Sam through it
Sam has a difficult phone call in five minutes. His heart is racing, and he says breathing exercises never work for him because he just ends up gulping air.
Question 2 of 2
Sources and further reading
Finish the lesson
0 of 2 questions done. Answer the rest to finish.