I’m not going to lie—I love a good deal. I’m still thinking about last year when I was in a store and they announced 80% off all seasonal items that were left over after the season ended. I raced to the front like I was running a 100-meter dash and scored some incredible deals. I was thrilled!
That's how I feel when we use our breath to relax during stressful moments. It’s the best deal out there! No fancy equipment, special clothing, quiet space, partner, or big chunk of time needed. It’s available 24/7, and the best part? It’s completely free. Think of it like the Doorcrasher deal!
The only catch is that we need to use some special breathing techniques to unlock its full potential. Controlled breathing has been practiced for thousands of years, and now science is backing its effectiveness. Of course, we all breathe every day—research shows we take about 20,000 breaths per day. The primary function of breathing is to bring oxygen into our bodies and get rid of carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, most of us breathe too shallowly. This shallow breathing results in us only exhaling about 70% of our carbon dioxide, leaving less oxygen available for our cells.
When we practice deep breathing, we deliver more oxygen to our body, remove more carbon dioxide, and activate the vagus nerve. This nerve, part of the parasympathetic nervous system is located at the base of our lungs, and is activated by deep breaths. The parasympathetic system is part of our body relaxing system, like a circuit breaker. Once stimulated, the vagus nerve sends a signal to the brain that everything is OK, and the brain doesn’t need to activate the stress response (fight, flight, freeze). The brain then tells our body to relax.
Scientific studies have shown that breath practices can reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance cognitive functioning. On a physiological level, deep breathing is one of the most immediate and effective techniques we can use to calm both our body and our mind.
There are several types of controlled breathing, but the two easiest ones to start with are deep breathing and box breathing. How do you do them? It’s simpler than you might think.
1. Deep Breathing: Start by inhaling deeply through your nose for a count of 4. Focus on filling your lungs with air by pushing out your belly (think of Santa Claus or Randy from Trailer Park Boys). Then, exhale through your mouth for a count of 4, imagining a balloon slowly releasing air. If you want, place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach so you can feel your stomach rise with each breath. Repeat this several times throughout the day. Deep breathing is easy to incorporate into your routine. While waiting for your toast to pop, driving, sitting in class, waiting to pick your child up from hockey, standing in line at the store, watching TV, getting into bed, it’s easy to slip one or two deep breathes in. It’s also effective in moments of potential stress (and no one will even notice you're doing it). Whether you’re waiting for a teacher to pass out a test, calling customer service about unexpected charges, public speaking, or entering an awkward social situation, a few deep breaths can help calm your body quickly.
Box Breathing: Box breathing is another deep breathing technique, but it requires a bit more focus. In this practice, you inhale for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds, and hold again for 5 seconds. Repeat this cycle several times. Box breathing not only helps relax your body but also sharpens your concentration. It can also be helpful to do a few breaths if you wake up in the night and can’t get back to sleep.
Children’s Breathing: Breathing has the same benefit for children as it does for adults. It can help restore calm in an escalating situation and maybe divert a tantrum before it gets rolling. Some fun exercises for kids include; having them imagine they’re smelling a flower, blowing out candles on a pretend birthday cake, or pretending to blow bubbles. We can even get toddlers to deep breathing by placing a stuffed animal on their belly and asking them to raise and lower the animal.
Come learn how to use breathing to your advantage!