Today I want to share an invaluable technique with you.
What I am about to share with you has had a MASSIVE impact on my life.
Each time I practice this technique - even if it is just for 10 minutes! - I feel so rested and relaxed afterwards. I recommend anyone dealing with chronic stress to practice this technique.
Are you ready for it?
The technique is called: Paced Breathing!
What is Paced Breathing?
Paced breathing is where you breathe rhythmically for a certain amount of time. For instance, you inhale for 3 seconds and exhale for 4 seconds.
The key here is to do it rhythmically.
Most people, especially if they are under a lot of stress, do not breathe properly.
By not breathing properly, you keep your body in a stressed state. Just think of a situation at work in which you were under a tight deadline.
Chances are that you were very much in your head, tensed up your body and pulled up your shoulders. Try to sit like that now and check with yourself: am I able to breathe deeply, into my belly?
By practicing paced breathing, you are teaching your body how to breathe properly again. I am using the word again, because your body already knows the proper way to breathe.
We all did it when we were a baby. Effortlessly.
However, due to chronic stress, the body has grown accustomed to a new breathing habit.
With this technique, you can rewire your brain. You can train your body to get back to a more natural way of breathing.
How Will Paced Breathing Reduce my Stress?
So how will paced breathing help you reduce the stress you experience? To explain this, I need to get a little bit technical.
A healthy person has a balanced autonomic nervous system. It has two branches:
- the sympathetic nervous system, and
- the parasympathetic nervous system
Often, the sympathetic nervous system is referred to as ‘fight-or-flight’, whereas the parasympathetic nervous system is referred to as ‘rest-and-digest’.
The ‘fight-or-flight’ mode is elementary to our survival: it enables you to run away from a tiger or jump out of the path of an oncoming car. Before you even realize it is happening.
On the other hand, in the ‘rest-and-digest’ mode, the body regenerates itself and food is digested properly.
To be healthy, both branches need to function well. It is like driving a car: you need both the gas pedal and the brake to really get somewhere. Many people are unable to find the brake. Consequently, their bodies suffer from chronic stress. Imagine an engine that is idling too high for too long. At some point, this will lead to exhaustion.
The beauty of the breath is that it is connected to both branches of the autonomic nervous system.
The inhalation is connected to the sympathetic, the exhalation to the parasympathetic nervous system.
If you are experiencing chronic stress, your body is constantly stepping on the gas pedal. By using paced breathing, you can directly activate the parasympathetic nervous system and thus step on the brake.
That Sounds Great! So How Do I Get Started?
I strongly recommend installing an app on your phone.
Remember: paced breathing only works when you follow a steady rhythm, with an exhalation that is longer than the inhalation.
You cannot rely on simply counting seconds in your head. Your mind will quickly be distracted, and before you know it you haven't paid attention to your breath for minutes. Even if you can remain focused, counting is not a reliable method to ensure steady, rhythmic breathing.
I have tried many different apps, and these two are my favorites:
- Paced Breathing (Android)
- Calm (IOS)
Paced Breathing is my preferred app, because you can set the length of each inhalation, pause and exhalation. Unfortunately, it is not available for IOS.
That is why I recommend Calm if you have an iPhone. Calm is an amazing meditation app, that also offers paced breathing. You can only use its preset variations though, so a little bit less flexibility. Still, it's be the best app for paced breathing that I have tried on IOS.
So how does it work?
Paced Breathing (Android)
The Paced Breathing app has a very simple interface.
The interface allows you to adjust the time settings, as well as set a timer.
Here are the settings that I recommend you start with:
- Inhalation: 4 seconds
- Hold: 1 second
- Exhalation: 6 seconds
- Hold: 1 second
- Timer: 10 minutes
Later on, you can change the timing to your liking.
Just make sure you to set the exhalation at a longer time than the inhalation. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which means it relaxes you and reduces your stress.
When you click start, all you need to do is follow the sounds that indicate inhalation or exhalation. Easy peasy!
Calm (IOS)
Calm works a little bit differently. If you open the app, you will see this beautiful moving image of a mountain lake.
In the bottom left corner, click on 'Breathe'.
Next, you will have access to three paced breathing variations:
- Inhale - Pause - Exhale
- Inhale - Exhale
- Inhale - Pause - Exhale - Pause
For each variations, you can choose to do 4, 6 or 8 rounds per minute
Unfortunately, you cannot choose a setting where each exhalation lasts longer than the inhalation.
However, I have experimented with the different variations, and found a workaround:
- Choose Variation 1: Inhale - Pause - Exhale
- Set it at 4 rounds per minutes This will ensure slow, long breaths
- When the inhale transitions into the pause, only pause briefly and then start to exhale
- This way, your exhalation will be longer than your inhalation
How to Position Yourself For Paced Breathing
Now that you are all set, lie down comfortable, in a space where you will not be disturbed. You can also sit in a chair, but lying down allows your body to relax the most.
WARNING: do not practice paced breathing when you are driving, or doing anything else that requires focused attention!
Turn on the sound of your phone.
Relax your body.
When you are ready, press start.
Pace your breath according to the inhalation and exhalation sound. Breathe deeply into your abdomens: this will help relax you even more.
It is not uncommon to fall asleep during this practice. Often, our breath is shallow and located in the chest area. Especially with people who are under a lot of stress.
When we finally breathe properly and relax, we tend to loose consciousness. This happened to me the first few times I practiced paced breathing. Over time however, you will find that you will be able to stay awake and remain aware. This is an important step, because now you are connecting body and mind.
Paced breathing teaches your body how to breathe again. If you practice it on a daily basis, your body will start to also adjust its breathing pattern when you are not using the app. This is a sign that you are on the right path, and it will amplify the effect of your practice.
Are you excited about practicing paced breathing? Give it a try: take control of your stress today by pacing your breath!
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Credit: all images are either screenshots, or images in the public domain from Pexels or Pixabay.
