Stress and breathing are intimately connected; changing one influences the other. Despite breathing being an autonomic function, we can consciously take control, choosing how and when we breathe. Breathe heavy and fast, and we kick in our sympathetic nervous system. We ready ourselves to engage in our fight-or-flight response. Switching to deliberate, slow breathing activates our parasympathetic system, releasing powerful feel-good endorphins, allowing us to relax and recover.
When we feel anxious, our body is getting ready to run away or stand up and fight. In anticipation of urgent action and a need for extra oxygen, our breath rate increases. However, if we are sitting still, waiting for an exam to start, this can lead to over-breathing.
Over-breathing can cause various symptoms that can leave us feeling more stressed, including (Khazan, 2019):
- Pounding heart
- Lightheadedness and dizziness
- Muscle tension
- Agitation and restlessness
- Nausea and ‘butterflies’ in the stomach
- Difficulty concentrating and making good decisions
- Trouble regulating emotions
- Feelings of disconnectedness from our body and the environment
A healthy human has two options for breathing: the mouth or the nose. While they are both effective ways of gaining vital oxygen into the body, they are not equal. Nasal breathing kills bacteria and viruses and relaxes the blood vessels in the respiratory tract, allowing more oxygen to pass into the blood. Breathing through our nose allows us to draw more oxygen from our environment than mouth breathing (up to 20% more), improves sleep, reduces tooth decay, and encourages learning.
Slowing the breathing down to about six breaths per minute through the nose reduces the heart rate, widens blood vessels, lowers stress, and promotes calm. Lengthening the out-breath with long, slow exhalations lulls us into an altered state of consciousness that can look much like slow-wave sleep on a brain scan.
Getting our breathing right is associated with good physical and mental health, including a reduction in stress. Try the following:
- Find a quiet space to focus on your breathing.
- Inhale quickly and exhale slowly.
- Repeat, but this time, inhale for two seconds, and exhale for five seconds.
- Continue for as long as comfortable.
