Why is breathing so effective?

Why is breathing so effective

at reducing stress?

 

What are the things you do to instigate relaxation after a long day working at the office or working from home?

I have spoken to professionals within the corporate world who say they tend to end the day shutting down the laptop and heading straight to bed. This gives them zero time to relax or unwind before their head hits the pillow. Others have said their main way to relax is to watch a tv show they enjoy, yet they find themselves falling asleep before they can experience such gratifications.

However, absorbing additional stimulus prior to bed does not serve our brain when it comes to rest, relaxation, or rejuvenation. Relaxation is a physiological response such as decreasing the heart rate, blood pressure, slowing down the breath and relaxing muscles.

Relaxation is not just about shutting down thoughts, it is about decreasing the metabolism, slowing down our breath and increasing levels of nitric oxide.

Breathing is the key to reducing stress and finding ways to relax should be a daily necessity. By focusing on the breath, it creates an active process and elicits body relaxation. Belly breathing for 20-30 minutes a day has been associated with reduction in anxiety and stress. This is because you are supplying fresh oxygen to your brain, as well as stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system.

Anatomically, you have increased activity in the prefrontal, motor, and parietal cortices structures in the brain. Behavioural changes include comfort, relaxation, vigour, alertness and reducing symptoms of depression, anger, and confusion.

Marines understand the importance of breathing under extreme distress and they have been conditioned to withstand tough training regimes. However, we are not soldiers, so what can we do to when we have stress that consumes our environment?

When we are stressed, our energy and attention is likely to be reduced. We can no longer think clearly, logically nor will we be able to find a solution easily. Our state of anxiousness, distress and discomfort also brings about repercussions to our own mental state. A barrage of negative emotions or narratives tend to run through our heads during the times of trauma and or worry.

Yale ran a study that evaluated the impact of three wellbeing interventions:

The first was a breathing exercise designed to induce calmness and resilience.

The second included mindfulness techniques on meditation and training. The focus intended to be on the moment and to practice non-judgment.

The third was teaching techniques on emotional intelligence.

The results showed, those who went through the breathing exercises experienced the greatest mental health, social connectedness, and positive emotions. The participants experienced reduced levels in overall stress and depression. They also gained other mindfulness advantages.

This study branched out to veterans from Iraq & Afghanistan. This breathing meditation normalised their anxiety levels, after one week and they continued to benefit mentally for a year after the intervention.

A 1-day breathing exercise intervention found to relieve the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization induced by job burnout according to Salyers et al.

A 30-minute intervention with a daily duration of five minutes significantly decreased the anxiety in pregnant women experiencing preterm labour.

There are various methods in which we can manipulate our breath to reduce further distress, anxiety, and pressure. The goal is to induce a state of feeling relaxation, calmness and regain clarity.

The ways in which we can alter our breathing affects our brain stem which consequently triggers the parasympathetic nervous system. This ‘rest and digest’ nervous system will bring the blood flow back into your pre-frontal cortex where you make rational decisions and where you can find solutions instead of more problems.

For those who are seeking to learn more about the methods I use with my clients contact with me by sending me a direct message. Alternatively, you can click here and learn about the new program Elevate Success: Leadership Formula where I help women in high-pressured roles overcome stress, anxiety and burnout so they can rise to the next level of success.

 

References:

Chang S.-B., Kim H.-S., Ko Y.-H., Bae C.-H., An S.-E. (2009). Effects of abdominal breathing on anxiety, blood pressure, peripheral skin temperature and saturation oxygen of pregnant women in preterm labor. Korean J Women Health Nurs 15 32–42. 10.4069/kjwhn.2009.15.1.32

Perciavalle V, Blandini M, Fecarotta P, Buscemi A, Di Corrado D, Bertolo L, Fichera F, Coco M. The role of deep breathing on stress. Neurol Sci. 2017 Mar;38(3):451-458. doi: 10.1007/s10072-016-2790-8. Epub 2016 Dec 19. PMID: 27995346.

Salyers M. P., Hudson C., Morse G., Rollins A. L., Monroe-DeVita M., Wilson C., et al. (2011). BREATHE: a pilot study of a one-day retreat to reduce burnout among mental health professionals. Psychiatr. Serv. 62 214–217. 10.1176/ps.62.2.pss6202_0214 

Zaccaro, Andrea et al. “How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing.” Frontiers in human neuroscience vol. 12 353. 7 Sep. 2018, doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353

Take a Deep Breath - The American Institute of Stress

Research: Why Breathing Is So Effective at Reducing Stress (hbr.org)