Why mindful breathing helps reduce stress
A few years ago my therapist suggested that I breathe out for the count of 11, and in for the count of 7, a few times a day, for around a minute. My first reaction was to tell her that I didn’t have time, that I breathed all day every day, and I couldn’t see why breathing in a different way would make any difference. I am pleased to say that she was right, and I was wrong; it turns out that learning how to breathe mindfully was one of the most important changes that I made, and a turning point in my road to recovery from burn out and PTSD.
Why does breathing mindfully, placing an emphasis on the out breath, make such a difference to how we feel, and how our bodies work? Essentially, for evolutionary reasons, when we are under stress or threat, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in, and the body releases the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. This gets us ready for the flight or fight response, so we can fight off any tigers, or run away from them very fast. This has many biological outcomes, including increased heartrate and breathing, and digestive issues. When the threat is over, our sympathetic nervous system kicks back in, and sends relaxation hormones such as oxytocin around out body, sending it back into a calm and rest state, where we are able to think more clearly and reconnect socially. The problem is that in the modern world, rather than tigers causing one off threats that resolve quickly, the stressors we are exposed to such as email overwhelm, 24/7 news, demanding family lives, deadlines and ever increasing pressures to be productive, are ever present. Therefore, many people find that their sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive, resulting in anxiety, chronic stress, hypervigilance and burn out.
Mindful breathing is a way of the body telling the mind that everything is OK. The tiger has gone. The threat is over. It essentially resets the flight or fight response, and kicks the parasympathetic nervous system into play. Regular practice can have a dramatic impact on the hormonal balance in your body. It is free, quick and effective.
It can be easy to get caught up in lots of different techniques. It doesn’t matter which one you chose. The British Heart Foundation website has some really clear guides. Just go with one that works for you.
