During a stress explosion breathing can help calm the nervous system. Breathing is a great tool in a crisis, but how can we use breathing to reduce stress over the longterm? Imagine this, you’re on the verge of a fight, adrenaline is pumping in your veins and it’s time to throw punches. “Now just breathe, man!” In this moment a breathing exercise will have little impact on your stress baseline due to the rage required to crush an opponent. You want to be turned all the way up before a physical altercation. Most of the time this fight response resets after the altercation, but not always.

If our stress baseline is always high and we continually stimulate our fight or flight response during our lifetime then the response doesn’t always reset completely. Improving your stress baseline with deliberate breathing exercises enables better performance during activated moments of fight or flight. Conducting a deliberate breathing exercise in the middle of an intense fight or flight activation is too late. Incorporating breathing exercises into your weekly routine lowers your stress baseline and improves your stress tolerance.

The deliberate breathing technique I find the most effective takes 30 minutes per week. See below:

• 3x 10 minute sessions on different days throughout the week
• 8 sets of 4-7-8 per session (Breathe in through nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds). Slow exhale matters the most!
• 3 sets of deliberate breath holds per session (Take 4 breaths, on your 4th exhale hold your breath for 15 seconds, take more 4 breaths, on your 4th exhale hold your breath for 30 seconds). This technique increases your ability to hold your breath for time. As your ability to hold your breath increases then add more seconds to amount of time hold your breath. A potential goal would be after three weeks of deliberate breath holds increase the times you hold your breath to 20 seconds and 40 seconds.

You might be interested in exploring the fascinating connection between breath and well-being. Speaking of deliberate breathing, you might find it insightful to look into the concept of breathing exercises, which highlight techniques for calming the mind and body. Additionally, understanding the body’s fight or flight response can deepen your appreciation of how breathing can influence your stress levels. For those curious about the science behind stress management, a review of psychological stress may provide valuable context on how chronic stress can impact health.