Stress tends to trigger our “fight or flight” response, a normal survival reaction to a situation that is perceived to be dangerous to our physical and mental integrity. During the stress response, we have physiological, emotional, and cognitive changes that prepare us to deal with the situation at hand. Although these responses are adaptive when they serve to remove us from harm’s way (e.g., if you were confronted by an aggressive bear in the forest, the stress response mobilizes you to run for your life or prepares you to fight for your life), most of the daily stressors we experience in life are not life-threatening (e.g., running behind on a work deadline or arguing with your spouse about where to go for dinner). However, these daily stressors also tend to trigger the “fight-or flight” response, which when experienced chronically can take a toll on our health, mental health, and sense of well-being.
There are many ways in which people cope with everyday stressors, some healthier than others. Deep breathing is a simple yet effective way to cope with stress that you can easily learn and implement in your daily life.
Why is breathing important?
During times of stress, the breathing process becomes disrupted: your breathing becomes more rapid and shallow leading to feelings of anxiety and tension. The purpose of deep breathing is to slow down the breathing process, which can lead to increased feelings of calm and relaxation.
How do I breathe deeply?
Try these 3 simple steps:
- Breath in through your nose, count to two, and then exhale slowly through your mouth
- Concentrate on taking breaths right on down to your stomach or your diaphragm muscles. To help learn this, place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. If you are doing the exercise correctly, only the hand on your abdomen should rise and fall as you inhale and exhale.
- Repeat a word such as CALM or RELAX or PEACE in your mind, while you do the breathing exercise.
Feeling more relaxed?
Research has shown that deep breathing produces physiological changes (e.g., reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones) that in turn lower feelings of anxiety and increase feelings of calm.
So, practice deep breathing 2 times per day for at least 10 minutes each time to gain the most stress reduction benefits.