How to breathe properly for reduced stress

Of course, you already know how to breathe. You do it every moment of every day without even thinking about it. Chances are, though, your breathing technique is not as healthy as you might think.

Most of us breathe too shallowly, too quickly. Our lungs and hearts would greatly prefer longer, slower, deeper breaths. This is true for our general health, and it is also true for managing stress.

Deep breathing helps to dissipate the fight-or-flight reaction that so many of us experience when we're stressed. It sends a signal to your brain to slow down, which results in hormonal and physiological changes that slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.

You might be surprised to find that there are lots of books on breathing methods. That's because proper breathing technique is crucial for everyone from athletes to people with asthma to yoga experts. But for most of us, there are only a few things you need to keep in mind:

• In general, inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. A healthy inhale takes about five seconds.
• In general, exhale slowly through your mouth. Empty your lungs completely. Good breathers focus more on thorough exhalation than on inhalation.
• For good deep breathing, engage your diaphragm – the sheet of muscle along the top of your abdomen that pulls your lungs down to draw in air, then pushes your lungs up to expel carbon dioxide. With a good inhalation, your lungs inflate as your diaphragm contracts and flattens. As you exhale, your diaphragm relaxes and rises. You may not feel the muscle moving but you can tell if you're using it as your abdomen will swell a little as you inhale.
• Work towards taking just six or eight deep breaths a minute. Most of us breathe more than 20 times a minute.