Feeling anxious? Angry? Frustrated? Disappointed?
The evidence clearly shows there is something you can do—no matter where you are or what the circumstances are. Take a few slow, deep breaths.
In most stressful situations, human nature actually drives us to take deep breaths. If you’re getting ready to give a speech to a large crowd or standing at the starting line for a community running race, you may find yourself taking a deep breath without even thinking about it.
Across the globe and throughout centuries, cultural traditions such as yoga and Tibetan Buddhism have drawn on our natural instincts to promote breathwork as a way to achieve calm and relaxation.
Research demonstrates it works. A systematic review published last year in the journal Scientific Reports found that participants who engaged in slow-paced breathing exercises had lower levels of stress, self-reported anxiety, and symptoms of depression compared to those who didn’t do the exercises. There is also evidence that deep breathing helps to reduce pain levels and lower blood pressure for those with cardiovascular disease.
Now researchers are asking, what’s going on in the body when we take slow, deep breaths? A systematic review published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience aims to shed light on this topic. The article includes data from 15 separate studies that investigate the mechanisms at play during slow breathing exercises.
The review authors found that taking slow, deep breaths promotes changes in the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary processes, including heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, body temperature, and digestion. Studies find that slow breathing leads to increases in Heart Rate Variability and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia—two measures that demonstrate the heart and lungs are working well.
Breathing exercises also trigger changes in the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Here, breath exercises are associated with increased alpha wave activity, a sign of good cognitive performance.
The review also found that study participants who engaged in slow, deep breathing reported increased feelings of comfort, relaxation, pleasantness, vigor, and alertness and reduced feelings of arousal, anxiety, depression, anger, and confusion.
The review authors have two theories about why these emotional changes occur. One theory is that slow breathing promotes enteroception, or the ability to know and feel what’s going on in your body. Essentially, they are arguing that slow breathing helps you to better recognize and voluntarily regulate your feelings.
Second, the authors hypothesize that slow breathing most often involves breathing through the nose, which activates the olfactory bulb, the neural structure in the brain that processes information about smell. This mass of tissue is connected to the cerebral cortex, the brain’s command center that controls the higher-level functions, including cognition and emotion. The review authors believe that stimulating the olfactory bulb triggers changes in the cerebral cortex that can lead to a state of profound relaxation and inward focus.
The take-home message: Whatever the mechanisms at play, deep breathing exercises are good for you! Clear evidence shows they support well-being, help reduce stress, and promote relaxation and focus.
