Physiological sigh

The physiological sigh is a powerful tool for calming down and reducing stress. It involves a big, deep inhale through the nose, a second inhale through the nose to maximally inflate the lungs, followed by a long exhale through the mouth until the lungs are empty. This breathing pattern can quickly restore balance in the autonomic nervous system by shifting from sympathetic (fight or flight) to parasympathetic (rest and digest) states 1 2.

Key Points:

1. Stress Reduction: Physiological sighing is the fastest way to introduce calm and lower stress in real-time. It helps to manage the sympathetic and parasympathetic neural circuitries effectively 1.
2. Frequent Use: Humans and animals naturally perform physiological sighs every few minutes to maintain lung function by reopening alveoli that can collapse, ensuring oxygen exchange 3.

   Breathing for Stress Reduction

   Andrew Huberman

   Andrew Huberman discusses the benefits of cyclic sighing and physiological sighing for stress reduction. Cyclic sighing performed for five minutes a day had the most robust and pervasive effect in reducing stress, improving mood, and improving sleep. One physiological sigh is a very efficient way to immediately bring about calm and reduce overall levels of stress.

   

   Huberman Lab

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

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3. Manual Activation: While these sighs happen involuntarily, they can also be consciously controlled, which makes it a valuable tool for managing stress, especially in high-pressure situations. Just one or two sighs can significantly reduce stress 4.
4. Applications: Apart from stress reduction, physiological sighs can alleviate side stitches during exercise like running, by changing the firing of the phrenic nerve and relieving pain 5.

Using the physiological sigh can be a beneficial immediate strategy to handle unexpected stressors, enhance mood, and improve overall mental health 6.