Master the art of the ‘physiological sigh’ and eradicate stress in seconds, says neuroscientist Dr Andrew Huberman
A NEUROSCIENTIST has revealed the fastest way to eradicate stress – and it works in seconds.
The “physiological sigh” is the quickest method of relaxing yourself when you feel under pressure, according to Dr Andrew Huberman.
The Stanford University expert explained how the technique helps rid the body of carbon dioxide, slashing your stress levels.
Speaking on his podcast the Huberman Lab, he said: “The physiological sigh is the fastest, hard-wired way for us to eliminate the stressful response in our body quickly in real time.
“When you’re feeling stressed, you can do a double inhale, then a long exhale.”
Around one in 14 — 7 per cent — of Brits feel stressed every day, according to Champion Health.
YouGov data show three quarters of people have felt so stressed they were overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Some people under-breathe or hold their breath when they feel stressed, resulting in carbon dioxide building up in their blood.
Studies show this can lead to anxiety symptoms, including panic attacks.
To counter this, Dr Huberman recommends you use the physiological sigh to give your body a reset.
He said the double inhale helps fill up your lungs to their maximum level, “even if the second inhale is sneaking in just a tiny bit more air”.
Dr Huberman said: “You do a big inhale and then another little one, sneaking it in.
“Your lungs aren’t just two big bags — you’ve got millions of little sacs throughout the lungs.
“They actually make the surface area of your lungs as big as a tennis court.
“Those tend to collapse as we get stressed. But when you do the double inhale, exhale, the double inhale reinflates those little sacs in the lungs.
“When you do the long exhale, that long exhale is now much more effective at ridding your body and bloodstream of carbon dioxide, which relaxes you very quickly.”