Stress and anxiety is the body’s natural reaction to real or perceived threatening situations. It can be a an exam, an important meeting or the threat of a predator. We’ve all been there. But not all people have had access to the knowledge that you are going to have by the end of this read. You’ll have access to superhuman knowledge on how to handle anxiety.
There is a myriad of breathing techniques out there and several can help you calm down stress and anxiety. However, scientific researchers have tested numerous breathing techniques and this one stands out as the fastest way to calm down feelings of anxiety and regain control. It is called the physiological sigh.
The physiological sigh is perfect for those moments when you feel like you want to regain control of a racing mind and heart. Often, we are trying to use the mind to calm the mind, which is not close to as effective as using the body to calm the mind. This breathing technique is going to slow down your heart beat. It will also activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which will calm the fight or flight response and allow you to regain control.
The physiological sigh for anxiety
A sigh is a breathing pattern where you make a double inhale and then relax on a long exhale. We do it all the time, around every 5 minutes actually. We also do it when we fall asleep, when we are asleep and when we cry. It is essential to lung function.
The double inhale removes CO2 from the lungs efficiently. This relaxes the body. When we take long exhales, the brain signals to the heart to slow down which further creates a feeling of relaxation. By sighing mindfully a few times, you can reduce anxiety within a few seconds.
How to do the physiological sigh
- Take a rapid inhale through the nose.
- Take another smaller inhale on top of that inhale.
- Let go of the breath with a long exhale through the mouth.
Repeat this 10 times or until you feel relaxed before returning to normal breathing.