How to Breathe Away Anxiety

Explore how cyclic sighing, a simple controlled breathing technique, can help reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and bring greater calm to everyday stressful moments.

Summary: In this episode of The Science of Happiness, professional surfer and chemistry professor Sarah Gerhardt shares how she uses cyclic sighing to manage anxiety and stress in everyday situations. Then Stanford psychologist David Spiegel explains the science behind the technique and how five minutes of daily practice can improve mood and lower respiratory rate. Together, they explore how controlled breathing can help us shift our body’s response to stress and feel calmer in moments of overwhelm.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Prepare: Find a comfortable seated or standing position in a quiet environment. Relax your shoulders and jaw.
2. First Inhale: Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Start with your abdomen, allowing it to expand (diaphragmatic breathing) as you fill your lungs about halfway. Hold this breath briefly.
3. Second Inhale: Continue inhaling through your nose, now expanding your chest to completely fill your lungs. Hold this combined breath (abdomen and chest filled) for a moment.
4. Exhale: Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth. Make sure the exhale is gentle and lasts about twice as long as the combined inhales.
5. Repeat the Cycle: Repeat the inhale sequence for a total of 3 cycles (or as desired). Start with a diaphragmatic inhale through your nose, expanding your abdomen. Follow with a chest expansion inhale through your nose to fill your lungs completely. Hold briefly after each combined inhale. Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth, ensuring it's twice as long as the inhales.
6. Reflect and Relax: After completing the cycles, take a moment to observe how your body feels. Notice any sensations of relaxation, reduced tension, or a calmer state of mind.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

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Today’s Guests:

SARAH GERHARDT is a pro-surfer and chemistry professor based out of Santa Cruz, California

DR. DAVID SPIEGEL is Willson Professor and Associate Chair of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is also the co-founder of the clinically backed self-hypnosis app Reveri.

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Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3u69tefe