Our breathing can function as an on-off switch for anxiety or fight, flight or freeze. Isn’t that amazing! I think it is SO amazing!
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If you are in rest and digest mode, you should see your bottom hand, the one on your belly, moving the most. If you are in an anxious or hyper-arousal state, the upper hand, the one on your chest, will be the one moving the most. Chest breathing is shallow and generally more rapid. It triggers stress hormones in your body and sends the signal to your brain that something is wrong. Belly breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing, sends the opposite signal and allows the happy-producing hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin as well as allowing our bodies to heal, relax, and digest. To get technical for a minute here for some of our listeners who want to know the nitty-gritty of it all, you may have heard of the vagus nerve. Psychology Today’s Article, Longer Exhalations Are an Easy Way to Hack Your Vagus Nerve which I’ll link to in the show notes says the following: The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the human body and facilitates a constant psychophysiological dialogue between your mind, brain, and body. Most importantly, in terms of coping with anxiety, the vagus nerve is the commander-in-chief of the inhibitory parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest mode) which counterbalances excitatory "fight-or-flight" stress responses to maintain homeostasis and grace under pressure. Psychophysiologists have identified that slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing triggers a relaxation response by secreting a “vagus substance” (also known as acetylcholine) into the bloodstream. Acetylcholine is a self-produced tranquilizer that works to squelch anxiety and distress, also known as bad stress.
Isn’t it amazing that our bodies were designed so perfectly? We have the ability to move to quick action to preserve our lives and we also have the ability to create these natural tranquilizers that override stress. A way we can do that is to make a conscious effort to breathe to that lower hand.
Does that blow your mind that the way we breath can determine how much stress we feel? I used to be a notorious chest breather. It has taken some time and awareness to switch my “default” breathing down to my belly. It’s easiest to feel where your breath is when you’re lying down so a great place to practice is as you’re trying to fall asleep. Whenever I feel stressed, I try to notice where my breathing sits and make that effort to move it back down to my belly.
An article on healthline reports: “Diaphragmatic breathing has a ton of benefits. It’s at the center of the practice of meditation, which is known to help manage the symptoms of conditions as wide-ranging as irritable bowel syndrome, depression and anxiety, and sleeplessness.”
It continues, saying-
Here are more benefits this type of breathing can have:
It lowers your heart rate.
It helps lower your blood pressure.
It improves your body’s ability to tolerate intense exercise.
It helps you relax and reduces stress, lowering the harmful effects of the stress hormone cortisol on your body such as keeping your immune system from working at full capacity and making you more susceptible to numerous conditions. Over time, long-term or chronic stress — even from seemingly minor inconveniences like traffic — can lead to anxiety or depression.” (1)
So many benefits, right!! That type of breathing again, is called “belly breathing” or diaphramatic breathing.
The second hack, my 10-second anxiety hack, is also with the breath and this is a simple counting technique. So if you simply exhale for a longer time than you inhale, that sends the immediate message to your brain to relax. So if you inhale for 4 seconds, try to exhale for 6 or 8 seconds and do this for 3-5 breaths. Inhale for 4, exhale for 6 or 8. Pause this and give it a try! This is a calming breath. Did you try it? Do you feel calmer already? As I teach this to clients, they ALWAYS say they feel calmer. You can also reverse this for an energizing breath, but that is not the focus of today’s topic. Some imagery you can use to help you envision this type of breathing is think about singing, blowing a pinwheel or blowing bubbles. These things require that slower, sustained exhale. No wonder kids generally are less stressed, right? They’re always doing those things.
So you don’t have to just take my word for all this, Christopher Bergland shares the following story: He says, “I first learned about the vagus nerve and vagusstoff as a young tennis player being coached by my late father, Richard Bergland, who was a neurosurgeon, neuroscientist, and author of The Fabric of Mind. Because my dad had to maintain “grace under pressure” during life-or-death brain operations and as a competitive tennis player, he kept a variety of psychophysiological tricks up his sleeve that he'd use to keep his nervous system regulated by consciously engaging his vagus nerve…
As a neuroscience-based tennis coach, my dad taught me how to use “vagal maneuvers” such as taking one deep diaphragmatic inhale, followed by one long, slow exhale as I relaxed the back of my eyes and bounced the ball methodically four times before every serve. This belly breathing and ball-bouncing ritual helped me stay calm and grounded while playing stressful tennis matches. Notably, the vagus techniques I mastered on the tennis court have always helped me stay calm, cool, and collected whenever I face daunting challenges or terrifying situations off the court, too.
Anytime the “fight, flight, or freeze” stress response of the sympathetic nervous system is unbridled and running wild, it’s easy to lose your ability to think clearly. Luckily, simply by taking a deep breath followed by a long, slow exhale you can harness your vagus nerve and release a dose of acetylcholine on demand.” (2)
Isn't it amazing that our breathing can function as an on-off switch for anxiety or fight, flight or freeze. Simply by moving our breathing down to our belly, also known as belly breathing or diaphramatic breathing, we engage the vagus response and trigger the relaxation mode known as rest and digest. Also, by lengthening our exhale, we similarly communicate that we have no need of the hyper-arousal state and can move right to calm. By finding a time to incorporate this into your daily schedule, you will experience more peace and calm in your life. You can take a deep breath every time you wash your hands or practice for 2 minutes as you get in or before you get out of your bed each day. Or you can do it before or after meals. Find a time that will work for you and try to make this a daily practice so when those moments of anxiety or stress come, your body will be able to easily get back to calm.
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