Ready or not, September is here! For many of us, approaching fall means shifting gears. You may find yourself grieving the end of a more relaxed pace and restful state. You may be wondering how you are going to juggle schedules filled with new responsibilities and commitments. You may find yourself holding your breath simply anticipating a return to a more hectic lifestyle.
When you’re stressed, your body can shift into a fight-or-flight state. Your sympathetic nervous system is activated. Your heart rate and breathing may increase, muscles tense, mind fixates on threats, and thoughts and behaviours can become more reactive. Of course, we need to be able to turn on the Fight or Flight system in an emergency. However, we also turn it on when we think about, anticipate, or imagine an emergency (even when we are completely safe in the moment).
Slow, intentional breathing can mitigate the body’s stress response system
During periods of stress, I’m sure many of us have been told to “just breathe”. While that may be a good reminder, some may find that to be unhelpful or even irritating. The breath is both automatic and under our direct control. They say that on average, humans take about 10-20 breaths per minute. Slowing your breath rate down to anywhere from 4-10 breaths per minute activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is associated with relaxation and recovery. Slow, intentional breathing tells your body, “I’m ok. I’m in a safe place. I can let my guard down.” It lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), slows your heart rate, and flips your nervous system into a rest-and-digest mode. “You’re not just thinking yourself calm; you’re biologically initiating calm”. (Fumoto et. al., 2004; Ut et. al., 2011).
The benefits to more mindful breathing include:
- Reducing physiological arousal — slowing your breathing can help your body move away from a heightened stress response.
- Interrupting racing thoughts — focusing on the breath gives your attention something concrete to return to.
- Creating a pause before reacting — this can make it easier to respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively.
- Improving awareness — noticing changes in breathing can help you recognize when stress is building.
- Developing a practical coping skill — unlike some stress-management techniques, controlled breathing can be practiced almost anywhere.
Managing our breath isn’t a way to eliminate stress completely. Rather, it can give us a moment of control and recovery when stress occurs. There are organizational benefits to this as well. Taking short, mindful breathing breaks throughout the day can lead to a more focused, calm and efficient work environment.
Note: Breathwork may not be suitable for everyone (i.e. people who experience shortness of breath, anxiety/panic attacks, or have existing heart conditions). It is important to listen to and honor what works for our own bodies.
This is a simple cognitive-breathing exercise you can try for 2-5 minutes:
Sit comfortably and relax your shoulders.
Breathe in slowly through your nose for about 4 seconds.
Pause gently for 1–2 seconds.
Exhale slowly for about 6 seconds.
While breathing, focus your attention on the sensation of the air moving in and out.
If stressful thoughts appear, acknowledge them without judging yourself, then gently bring your attention back to your breath.
Repeat several times.
Resources:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-023-05119-6
https://spritualnomad.com/blog/breath-awareness-your-simple-anchor-to-the-present
Breath Awareness: A Simple Path to Mindfulness and Well-being
