How Breathing Techniques Combat Stress

by WiredBerries Editors — November 23, 2007

We've all heard that deep breathing can have a calming effect, but how? When presented with stress, the body naturally signals certain hormones to rouse us to action. It makes our breathing quicken, heart beat faster, blood pressure rise, muscles tighten, and senses sharpen. This response can help people stay alive in dangerous situations.

Unfortunately, that same response can also help kill you. Our ancient ancestors had to worry about dangerous predators, but most of us no longer live with immediate physical danger. However, our brains don't biologically understand the difference when it comes to stress. The "fight or flight" response can flare up repeatedly throughout the day over money woes, road rage, job worries, or relationship problems. We may not have to run from predators (although anyone who has been mugged would beg to differ), but we do have all kinds of stressful situations to deal with. For most of these modern mishaps, the stress response that once kept us alive doesn't help the situation at all.

In fact, frequent stress responses can cause serious health problems like high blood pressure, a suppressed immune system, and increased susceptibility to colds and other illnesses. Moreover, the buildup of stress can contribute to anxiety and depression. So how do we tell our brains to knock it off when it isn't needed? One simple way is to simply breath deeper and slower.

It may seem too easy, but it also makes sense. A big part of the normal stress response is quickened breathing. Usually it's subtle, and you may not even be aware of specific physiological changes. You may just feel "bugged." But by consciously choosing to breath slowly anytime we start to feel irritated, we can override the brain's instructions for the body to start going into hyper-drive.

So give it a try next time you start to feel stress coming on, like in a traffic jam, after reading an annoying email, or when Dave in accounting asks you out for the 5th time. In fact, try it right now. Breathe in deeply counting to 4 letting your diaphragm and belly fill up with air, and then breathe out slowing counting to 4 again. Relaxing, isn't it?