Sigh Away Stress

The physiological sigh, aka cyclic sighing, aka breath of joy has gotten a lot of attention lately for its stress-relieving properties. It has been shown to stop the momentum of anxiety and relieve stress quickly by expelling a lot of carbon dioxide at once.

A Stanford study compared the physiological sigh with two other breathing techniques. While all participants experienced benefits, the benefits were greatest for this physiological sigh when practiced for five minutes a day. 

I feel a calming effect after only one minute — so if you don’t have five minutes, this is not an all or nothing proposition.

The physiological sigh is most commonly taught as two inhales through the nose followed by an audible exhale out the mouth. (I showed it this way in my holiday survival challenge.) However, if you do it standing while swinging your arms, as shown in this video, you can do three sharp inhales through the nose so the audible exhale comes on the fourth breath as you push the arms down. Think of it as literally pushing your stress away. 

I find the arm-swinging variation incredibly energizing as well as calming. I have been doing it first thing in the mornings lately. 

Please give it a try and let me know how you feel. 

Each Monday I post a movement break to support your body, each Thursday an exercise or tip for your nervous system. 

I always welcome your questions and content requests.