The Power of Taking a Deep Breath: Why Sighing is Actually Good For You

Freaking out? Feeling stressed? Need a lift?

Breathe.

That advice has been around for ages, but today, it’s being taken (and given) more seriously than ever.

And for good reason: It can be really helpful.

Recently, a new study from Andrew Huberman’s lab at Stanford University adds more support to this assertion.

It highlights the mood-enhancing benefits of cyclic sighing—also known as a “physiological sigh.”

In the study, Dr. Huberman and his team split roughly 100 people into four groups. Each group practiced one of the following techniques for five minutes a day:

Group #1. Cyclic Sighing

To perform this “physiologically sigh,” take one slow breath through your nose. Once your lungs fully expand, inhale again. Then slowly and fully exhale. Repeat.

Group #2. Box Breathing

Inhale for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. Repeat.

Group #3. Cyclic Hyperventilation

Inhale intensely through the nose. Then exhale passively (allowing the air to release without effort) through the mouth. Repeat 30 times.

Then exhale as much air out of your lungs as possible. Wait for 15 seconds before inhaling again. Repeat.

Group #4. Mindfulness Meditation

Study participants paid attention to the area between their eyes, often called the “third eye.”

Note: The study referred to this technique as “mindfulness meditation,” but that’s a bit of a misnomer and something critics of this study have been quick to point out. (That’s because an authentic mindfulness practice includes several types of awareness and acceptance exercises.)

The Results

After 28 days, cyclic sighing emerged as the most effective technique for boosting mood.

However… ALL FOUR GROUPS significantly reduced anxiety and negative moods and felt more positive overall.

Which just goes to show…

You have multiple methods for changing your emotional state at your disposal.

The researchers say one of the benefits of controlled breathing is that it “directly influences respiratory rate, which can cause more immediate physiological and psychological calming effects by increasing vagal tone during slow expiration.”

An important callout: The participants practiced the methods remotely—not under the researchers’ supervision—and they filled out questionnaires to record their adherence and emotional states.

So that specific data is only as good as people were at accurately reporting it.

(WHOOP devices captured the participants’ daily resting heart rates, respiratory rates, and heart rate variability.)

But the main takeaway: Though not perfect by any means, it’s more evidence that breathwork can be helpful.

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Blog Written by Tanvir Heer Coaching

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