You already do this. Watch a child who has just stopped crying, or notice yourself at the end of a long day: a deep breath in, a little extra sip of air on top, then a long sigh out. It’s called a physiological sigh, and you can do it on purpose.
How to do it
- Breathe in through your nose until your lungs feel comfortably full.
- Take a second, shorter sip of air through your nose on top.
- Breathe out slowly through your mouth, all the way.
One to three sighs is often enough to take the edge off.
Why it works
The second sip re-opens tiny air sacs in your lungs that collapse a little when you’re stressed, so more air is available for the long out-breath. And slow out-breaths are what calm your heart rate.
In a 2023 study from Stanford, people who did five minutes of “cyclic sighing” a day for a month reported a bigger lift in mood than people who spent the same time on mindfulness meditation.
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