Summary (What is it?)
The Psychological Sigh is a breathing technique rooted in neuroscientific research designed to combat stress, anxiety, and depression in a rapid and effective way. This method, involving two breathes, lung expansion and a prolonged exhalation, has been identified as a potent tool for achieving calmness in real-time, without stepping away from stress-inducing activities. An absolute necessity for anyone who deals with Anxiety or Depression, it is, I've found, the quickest, simplest, cheapest method to instant symptom relief.
Method to Practice:
1. Slow First Inhale: Slowly inhale through your nose until your lungs have completely filed with air. Expanding them as much as possible. (Use mouth if nose is blocked)
2. Wait (Count 'One Mississippi'): Hold your breath.
3. Second Quick Inhale: With your lungs full from the first inhale, force air into your lungs to add just a tiny bit more oxygen.
4. Hold Again & Exhale (Count to Four): Hold your breath for a few seconds more, followed by a long exhale slowly through your mouth, emphasizing a longer duration than the inhale to trigger the relaxation response
5. Repeat: Surprisingly studies have shown that as few as one Psychological Sigh can reduce anxiety. Repeat as many times as needed.
Benefits, Why its Great:
• It is free.
• It provides rapid relief from acute stress or anxiety.
• It can be used any time and anywhere
• Research by Dr. Huberman and others highlights its effectiveness in real-time stress reduction.
Limitations:
• Primarily offers immediate relief, not a long-term cure for underlying issues.
• Tips for Success:
• Try the technique prior to getting put in a stressful situation.
• Anticipate an upcoming stressful event to give the tool a try.
• Share with friends, family, and colleagues. The more of your community that knows about the physiological sigh, the more likely you'll recall to use it in moments of stress.
Insights from Dr. Andrew Huberman::
In the quest to find effective, real-time solutions for stress management, Dr. Andrew Huberman, a renowned neuroscientist, sheds light on the remarkable efficacy of the physiological sigh. He notes that many people suffer from stress and need help, but many of the tools require people to step away from the stress inducing activity to find symptom alleviation. Huberman and others emphasize the need for strategies that allow individuals to confront stress head-on, without disengagement.
Highlighting the physiological sigh, Dr. Huberman explains, "Physiological sighs were discovered in the 1930s, as a pattern of breathing that people go into spontaneously when they're in claustrophobic environments or in deep sleep, when there's a buildup of a gas called carbon dioxide in the blood stream." If too much carbon dioxide is in our system, our brain triggers an inhale and exhale automatically. But here is the hack, we can manually, proactively engage in this behavior. Dr Huberman elaborates, "You can do physiological sighs voluntarily, anytime you're feeling too stressed and you want to feel more calm. The second inhale, according to Huberman, is crucial for its immediate impact on stress levels, offering a fast and effective method to regain calmness. "Your lungs are not just two big bags of air; they're two big bags of air with lots of little sacks… When you do the double inhale, it re-inflates any of these little sacks that have collapsed and in doing so, it allows you to offload more carbon dioxide."
He concludes, "So if you're feeling stressed in any circumstance, inhale twice through the nose and then exhale long through the mouth… just one or two, maybe three physiological sighs are sufficient to bring your level of stress and alertness down very fast and allow you to feel more calm."
Closing Thoughts:
This technique is up there as one of my favorite tools for combating stress, anxiety and depression. It is so simple, so easy to try and so effective I have found myself surprised with how effective it really is. Fights with the wife, road rage, children bugging me, big work presentation... one physiological sigh later and I'm in a much better place. Adopt it as a new weapon in your arsenal I'm confident you'll be happy with the results.
