The Calming Breath

Stress and anxiety trigger the ‘fight-flight-freeze’ response in our bodies, a survival mechanism controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. This response is designed to help us face danger, but is only designed to be active for a few minutes. However, when it remains active for extended periods, we experience symptoms like irritability, restlessness, tiredness, and depression.

Parasympathetic Nervous System: Rest & Digest

Interestingly, our bodies respond to perceived danger in the same way they would to real danger. For example, if a person sees a dog running towards them and they think the dog is coming to attack, then their body will respond as if the dog IS coming to attack . . . even if the dog is just lumbering over to say hello. This means that our bodies need to be convinced that we’re not in danger to stop the response. To do this, we need to activate the ‘rest-and-digest’ response that is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system.

Activating the Rest-and-Digest nervous system

The question most people ask is, “How do I turn off the fight-or-flight response?” However, a more effective question is, “How do I turn ON the rest-and-digest response?” We should focus on turning on the parasympathetic nervous system.

Belly-breathing is the ON switch for calmness

Controlling your breath is the easiest way to activate the rest-and-digest response. Studies have shown that diaphragmatic breathing, also called belly breathing, triggers the relaxation response. The technique involves deep, slow breathing while focusing on your belly rising and falling.

To practice belly breathing, lie down with a pillow under your knees and place your hands on your belly. Inhale slowly and deeply, allowing your belly to rise (the goal is to make your hands rise), then hold your breath for a moment. Exhale slowly, letting your belly fall back in to your abdomen. This works because when you let your belly rise, this allows the lungs to expand downwards and draw in air.

There are many types of relaxing breathing exercises. I explain the 2 most common in the “How to Relax and Unwind” blog post. A simple breathing exercise that does not involve any counting is:

• Breathe in slowly for a few seconds (your belly rises)
• Pause for a moment
• Exhale slowly for a few seconds (your belly falls)
• Pause for a moment
• Repeat this for 3-5 minutes.

When we start counting how long the inhales, pauses and exhales are, we are beginning to access deeper levels of relaxation.

The physiological sigh

Based on the work of neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman, the physiological sigh simply adds a quick 2nd inhale immediately after the initial inhale. According to Dr. Huberman, this helps ensure that the tiny air sacs in the lungs become more inflated to help bring in oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide.

Athletes, yoga practitioners, and martial artists commonly use belly breathing to calm their minds and bodies. By using this technique, you signal to your brain that all is well, which slows down your brainwaves and releases calming chemicals to help you relax. With practice, belly breathing can help alleviate anxiety and improve sleep quality, so don’t give up!

*Updated July 13, 2023

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Jonathan F. Anderson, LPC-s has worked in the helping profession since he started college in 1990. After completing his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas, Austin in 1994, he attended the highly-regarded University of Minnesota to earn his Master’s degree in 1997. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and is recognized as a Board Approved Supervisor by the State of Texas Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. Jonathan has completed Level-2 of the Gottman Method of Couples Counseling, and in 1998 received training from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation in Advanced Critical Incident Stress Management & Debriefing. To learn more about Jonathan’s practice, click here: Jonathan F. Anderson, LPC-s.