Between unstable politics, daunting caregiver tasks (eye surgery, replace live-in help, move) and the usual parenting+home+work juggle, I found myself resorting lately to my favorite breathing technique: the physiological sigh. This is yet another Dr. Huberman hack (are you working your ultradian rhythms yet?) and clearly my favorite.
Before we continue, I have to say two things about Dr. Andrew Huberman:
- Like Simon Sinek, his looks balance his geekdom quite nicely. Alas, no tantalizing British accent like Sinek, but still. I liked Huberman better without the beard, though. {{I fully realize that objectifying anyone these days is cancel-worthy, but you know I’m right…}}
- The Huberman Lab’s podcast and newsletter aim to provide “actionable information in a condensed form”. I object to the use of the word “condensed” here! Therefore, I’ll try to be your Huberman, condensing his advice to something that’s actually manageable.
What was that you said before? Psychological sigh?
Not psychological, those were my grandmother’s sighs. Physiological. A physiological sigh.
Have you seen a crying child do a double inhale? A double inhale increases lung pressure and brings oxygen to the smaller air sacs called alveoli. When you take shallower breaths because of stress, the alveoli collapse and less oxygen reaches the body and brain. Deep breaths signal to our bodies that we are safe and can reduce our stress response. And a double breath is even more effective.
Do this:
- Two short inhales through the nose
- One long exhale through the mouth
- Repeat one to three times
Dr. Huberman showed that it’s more effective than box breathing (of Navy Seal fame), cyclic hyperventilation, and (surprise!) minfulness meditation.
My two cents are that it’s simply faster than other techniques, and that’s all the persuasion I need.
Watch this section of a video that I did with the wonderful Heather Chavin of GoGoDone. I demonstrate how to do a physiological sigh, try it, too!
I breathe loudly in the video to demonstrate, but I assure you it can be done in absolute silence. It works great even if you’re in a board meeting, about to go on stage to speak, or having a difficult conversation. Or if your grandmother is loudly sighing at you to express her disapproval…
Did it work for you? Do share with me! Was it in a really uncomfortable situation??? Based on bullet #1 above, I’m already canceled. That’s as good as dead online, so your secret is safe with me…
[PS – If you’re reading this on my site and wondering about the photo (Thanks, Riccardo Cocconcelli) it turns out that there aren’t any stock photos of people sighing. The Bridge of Sighs in Venice (photographed) is much more popular…]
You hooked me with the title, Shlomit! I smiled and thought, this is my kind of article. So when I read about the quick breathing exercise, I tried it immediately. Remembering to breathe during a stressful time is the key.
Great reminder, Shlomit! I do the physiologic sigh quite often these days, but I have been training myself to breath only through my nose, so I do the exhale through the nose, too. Still works great!
Exhaling through the nose works extremely well when you want to be silent, like when you’re next to other people. Have done it often, too, and I see no advantage to exhaling through the mouth.
What interesting work! I must confess that the breathing model they say works best is my least favorite because it is also a technique used singing that I’ve never enjoyed.
Aahh! Interesting! Where can I find more information about this breathing pattern in the singing context??
I use this daily! Especially when I KNOW I’m churning out cortisol from stress. Not only does it have an impact on cortisol, but it also gives me some agency in dealing with stressors that I can’t always control.
Love that the photos is the “Bridge of Sighs” – made me sigh just looking at it even before I started reading…although the title did cue me to do so also. 🙂 I love your sense of humor woven into your writing as well. Smiling and sighing…double benefit.
🙂 🙂
I love those audible, heavy sighs. You can seemingly push so much anxiety out with your breath. How cool are we? I would love to send this article to the Frontiers for Youth Minds journal and have those 10-year-old reviewers help him make his paper more readable – it could help so many more people!
Yes! That would be amazing. His content is very clear, but so long…