Stress is part of life in our fast paced world. Short term stress can make you want to do something, and that’s good sometimes. Chronic stress takes a toll on your body and mind. This is one of the simplest, and most effective tools for managing breathing. Basically, this is an easy natural practice with powerful physiological effects to calm the nervous system and settle the body into relaxation. In this article we explore what deep breathing really entails and how it can help alleviate stress and promote well-being.

How Stress Affects the Body

Before you learn how deep breathing helps, it’s vital to understand what types of physiological effects stress has. Your body activates the sympathetic nervous system, the ‘fight or flight’ response, when you are confronted with stress. This response triggers:

• Increased heart rate: Prepares the body for action.
• Rapid Breathing: Effort that brings more oxygen to the fueling of muscles.
• Release stress hormones: Such as cortisol and adrenaline that raise your alertness.

This response is essential for short term survival but chronic activation results in high blood pressure, anxiety, a weakened immunity and digestive problems. Deep breathing works against this response by activating the nervous system; called the ‘rest and digest’ mode.

Physiology of Deep Breathing

With deep breathing, certain physiological functions of your body will be changed. Here’s how it impacts stress:

Controlling Oxygen and carbon dioxide Levels

It helps all of us breathe deeper and more quiet than we might tend to, and that means an increase in overall oxygen intake without a spike in carbon dioxide in the blood. This balance supports cellular functioning and eliminates the signs of hyperventilation — dizziness or tingling, sometimes experienced as a result of stress.

Slowing the Heart Rate

Stimulating the Vagus nerve, a crucial part of an organism’s parasympathetic nervous system, is accomplished when you breathe deeply and slowly. It stimulates the heart rate and blood pressure, and thereby induces relaxation.

Reducing Stress Hormones

Deep breathing lowers your body’s cortisol levels. Focused breathing for just a few minutes has been shown to substantially decrease cortisol — the hormone responsible for feelings of tension and anxiety — in studies.

Improving Brain Function

Second, stress impairs brain prefrontal cortex and decision making and focus. When breathing deep, you improve the flow of oxygen to your working brain, increasing concentration and cognitive performance, and creating the effect of not being overcome.

Breathing and the Nervous System Connection

The autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions like heart rate and digestion, has two primary components:

• Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): Flashbacks are what makes it responsible for stress responses.
• Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): In order to let the rings heal from the beginning, the stress that the skin goes through is relieved.

The way to shift the balance from SNS to PNS is to do deep breathing. It kicks in the baroreflex mechanism, a reflex within your body that controls blood pressure and calms down. That is why you often hear deep breathing described as a nervous system reset button.

Types of Deep Breathing Techniques

To harness the benefits of deep breathing, you can practice various techniques. Here are three effective methods:

Diaphragmatic Breathing

This is called belly breathing — bringing deeper breaths by engaging diaphragm.

How to practice:

• Lie or sit down in an easy position.
• Put one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
• Breathe deeply through your nose and your belly should rise.
• Breathe slowly out of your mouth, feel your belly fall.

Box Breathing

Athletes and military people use this method to relax and it is the equal intervals of breathing.

How to practice:

• Nose breathing for 4 counts, inhale.
• Breathe in for 4 and hold.
• Breathe out of your mouth for 4 counts.
• For that, hold your breath for 4 counts and repeat.

4-7-8 breathing

A well known relaxation and sleep promoting method.

How to practice:

• Through your nose, breathe in for a count of four.
• Take a breath for 7 counts.
• Close your lips and exhale through your mouth for 8 counts.
• Deep Breathing: Scientific Studies that Support it

Stress Reduction

The Journal of Psychiatric Research published a study that showed deep breathing exercises can reduce levels of cortisol and perceived stress in people over control groups.

Improved Mental Health

Breathing techniques increase emotional regulation, help reduce symptoms of anxiety, and increase overall wellbeing, according to a Frontiers in Human Neuroscience study.

Better Sleep Quality

As has been shown, deep breathing can stimulate the PNS and help it go from a state of being active and transition into a state of rest, which can be used to help combat insomnia.

How to incorporate Deep Breathing in to Daily Life

It doesn’t take much time or effort to make deep breathing a part of your daily routine. Here are some tips:

• Start small: Give 5-10 minutes daily to focused breathing.
• Use reminders: Get set alarms or such apps that remind you to take breathing breaks when you are stressed.
• Pair with activities: Deep breathing practice in yoga, meditation or walking.
• Create a calming environment: Find a quiet area, use soft lighting, or listen to music that’s relaxing to help it along.

Conclusion

Relaxing to breathe is just one simple but powerful way to manage stress and help relax. By knowing the physiological effects, if you do this, you can utilize the benefits of this practice towards your mental and physical health. Day to day stressors or just needing a way to unwind after a long day, deep breathing is a natural and effective way to deal with it. You’ll see a remarkable difference in your well-being when it becomes a habit.