Breathing is one of the most fundamental functions of the human body, so basic that we often overlook the fact that we breathe continuously, without pause.
Moreover, experts have indicated that breathing has extremely useful benefits, including its ability to alleviate stress before we enter a state of panic.
Controlled breathing will determine how quickly or slowly the heart pumps blood throughout the body. (Photo: nerthuz/Adobe).
Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, a professor at Stanford University in the United States, states that the breathing technique known as “psychological sigh” can effectively help you escape from stress.
This breathing technique is quite simple and is based on human anatomy. Essentially, when you inhale, the diaphragm and other muscles expand your chest. At this point, the heart also opens up. When you exhale, everything compresses. Using the rhythm of breathing to control this cycle of expansion and contraction can easily dissolve stress.
Along with the heart rate, blood circulation also increases or decreases. The nervous system recognizes this. When you take a longer inhale than exhale, the heart beats faster. Conversely, when you exhale slower than you inhale, the heart rate slows down.
You can take advantage of this mechanism to manage stress by inhaling quickly twice through your nose, then exhaling a long breath through your mouth. Essentially, the action of “psychological sigh” slows the heart rate, helping you avoid the risk of becoming panicked due to excessive stress. This is particularly beneficial before situations begin to spiral out of your control.
If you are looking for a way to relieve stress, repeat the above breathing technique 1 to 3 times. There are other breathing techniques that have similar effects. They also rely on the principle of exhaling slower than inhaling to force the heart and chest to compress and slow down blood circulation.
Additionally, you can apply this breathing technique to slow your heart rate when you want to quickly fall asleep.
