How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance | Huberman Lab Podcast

Box Breathing

Box breathing is a powerful technique that enhances neuromechanical control of the diaphragm, promoting calmness and improving sleep quality. Andrew Huberman explains that this method involves controlled breathing patterns, which translate to deeper and less frequent breathing when at rest 1. By using nasal breathing, the phrenic nerve and diaphragm are engaged, leading to numerous positive outcomes, including reduced brain hyperexcitability 2.

Breathing is incredible because it represents the interface between conscious and subconscious control over not just body, not just your lungs, but that how you breathe influences your brain state.

--- Andrew Huberman

Huberman emphasizes the importance of the carbon dioxide tolerance test to tailor the duration of each breath, ensuring the exercise is effective and not overly strenuous 1.

   

Cyclic Sighing

Cyclic sighing is a simple yet effective technique for stress reduction and mood enhancement. Andrew Huberman describes it as a series of deep inhales followed by extended exhales, which helps balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems 3. This practice, when done for just five minutes daily, has been shown to significantly reduce stress and improve sleep quality 4.

One physiological sigh is the fastest way to introduce a level of calm and to reduce your overall levels of stress in real time.

--- Andrew Huberman

Huberman highlights that cyclic sighing outperforms other stress reduction techniques, such as mindfulness meditation and box breathing, in terms of its pervasive effects on stress and mood 4.

   

CO2 Tolerance

Managing carbon dioxide levels through breathwork is crucial for optimal brain function and stress management. Andrew Huberman explains that carbon dioxide tolerance can be assessed by measuring how long one can control their exhale, with longer times indicating higher tolerance 5. This tolerance is not directly related to cardiovascular fitness but can be improved through regular practice of exercises like box breathing 6.

If it took you 20 seconds or less to expel all your air, that is, you couldn't extend that exhale longer than 20 seconds in a kind of back of the envelope way. We can say that you have a relatively brief or low carbon dioxide tolerance.

--- Andrew Huberman

Huberman notes that improving carbon dioxide tolerance can lead to more efficient breathing and reduced stress levels, even when not consciously focusing on breathing 5.