“Take deep breaths.” That is usually the first thing we hear anytime we try to cope with nervousness, stress, or a panic attack. So, why do we take deep breaths? How do they help us calm down? Is there science behind such advice? In this blog post, we’ll discuss the physiology behind deep breathing and how we can use it to calm ourselves – and make it through that exam, job interview, and other stressful situations.

The part of the human nervous system that maintains and regulates involuntary body functions, such as breathing, heartbeat, blood flow, and digestion, is called the autonomic nervous system. It has two main parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for what we call the “fight or flight” responses, such as fear, anger, excitement, nervousness, anxiety, etc. It does so by stimulating cardiac muscles to increase the heart rate and increasing oxygen intake.

The parasympathetic nervous system is active during digestion and rest. After a threat has passed, the parasympathetic nervous system helps the body return to its normal resting state by decreasing heart rate, stabilizing blood pressure, and relaxing muscles.

Don’t panic; grab a paper bag!

When anxious, most people tend to hyperventilate (rapid or shallow breathing). Hyperventilation makes us exhale more air, lowering the carbon dioxide level in our blood. This imbalance can result in increased heart rate, dizziness, and muscle tensions. It signals a stress response in the body and can lead to anxiety or panic attacks. This is the reason some people breathe into a paper bag. Inhaling back the previously exhaled carbon dioxide helps restore the oxygen-CO2 balance in blood flow and decrease hyperventilation.

Relaxation takes practice

Deep breathing, otherwise known as diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, or paced breathing, is one of the best techniques to elicit a relaxation response. Here’s how you can practice deep breathing:

1. Lie down on your back on a flat surface, with knees bent.
2. Placing one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, breathe in slowly through your nose. This should cause your stomach to move out. The hand on your belly should rise. The hand on the chest should remain still.
3. Tighten your abdominal muscles and let them fall inwards as you exhale through pursed lips. The hand on your belly should move back to its original position, while the hand on your chest should remain still.

Deep breathing requires practice. Try it for five to ten minutes, three to four times a day and gradually increase the amount of time per session. 

What about meditation?

Meditation is the practice of using techniques such as mindfulness, focusing on a thought, or a particular object, to help train our minds to be more aware, attentive, and achieve calmness. As author Max Strom mentions in his TEDx speech, Breathe to Heal, meditation is a rather advanced tool. We should learn how to breathe first and calm our nervous system. Effective breathing signals our nervous system to go from fight or flight to rest and digest. Once we’ve achieved this, it’s easier to practice various meditation techniques. We partnered with experts in the meditation space to bring you some free resources to help you get started, available here. 

BIOFEEDBACK

Biofeedback can be used to control some body functions by measuring or taking “feedback”, from different physiological changes. Some examples of biofeedback methods include using brainwaves (EEG), heart rate variability, breathing, muscle contraction (EMG), body temperature, etc. A combination of wearable devices and guided breathing using an app can be a good place to start. There are a lot of apps that combine user inputs and fitness trackers to give an overall assessment of wellness and progress. Some examples include Calm, Headspace, and Welltory.

THINK OF A HAPPY PLACE

Visualization is another powerful technique that can help you relieve stress. It involves using mental imagery to achieve stress reduction and calmness. It prevents our minds from wandering and thinking about worries and fears and helps us focus on something more relaxing. Before starting this process, make sure you have a comfortable space set up. Start by taking a few deep breaths. Close your eyes, try to relax your muscles, and think of your happy place. Whether it’s a gorgeous beach, serene mountains, any life event that you cherish, or just a picture of puppies! Take your time and slowly open your eyes once you feel relaxed. Don’t forget to keep breathing!!

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE...

Relaxation methods take practice. Be patient and don’t give up if a certain method doesn’t work immediately. Effectively practicing deep breathing will better equip you to handle anxiety and stress. So, before you walk into that next job interview or final exam, take a few deep breaths.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Diaphragmatic breathing
• Breathe to heal by Max Strom
• Change your breath, change your life by Lucas Rockwood