Motivation and emotion/Book/2024/Breathing exercises and relaxation

Breathing and relaxation:
How can breathing exercises promote relaxation?

Multimedia presentation (3 min)

Overview

Figure 1. People use breathing techniques as a form of well-being maintenance and also in immediately distressing situations to help diffuse the immediate physical and psychological impacts. Scenario: Caroline sat at her desk feeling overwhelmed about an upcoming work deadline. She felt her heart begin to race and her chest tighten. She could feel a panic attack coming on. She quickly remembered a breathing technique she had been taught in a wellbeing workshop and began inhaling for 4 seconds, holding her breath for 4 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. She continued this until she felt her heart rate slow and her chest ease. With a sense of calm replacing the anxiety, Caroline felt like she was able to tackle that task that previously caused panic.

Breathing exercises, a subset of mind-body practices, have garnered considerable attention for their ability to induce relaxation and mitigate stress. These exercises involve the intentional regulation of breathing patterns to affect both physiological and psychological states. Breathing exercise help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which encourages a state of calm and counteracts the "fight or flight" response that is activated by the sympathetic nervous system.

Physiologically, these exercises assist in maintaining an adequate balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body, which is crucial to preventing anxiety related hyperventilation. They also foster emotional stability by encouraging a state of psychophysiological coherence where the heart rate and brain waves become synchronised. Psychologically, breathing exercises are effective in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and stress by reducing the bodies primary stress hormone, cortisol. They enhance mindfulness and support increased emotional regulation and cognitive clarity making them useful in both clinical and everyday settings (Figure 1). Because breathing techniques are easy to incorporate into daily routines, they provide a practical and accessible means of improving overall well-being.

Focus questions: How do different breathing exercises physiologically affect the body to promote relaxation? What psychological mechanisms underlie the effectiveness of breathing exercises in reducing stress and anxiety? In what ways can the regular practice of breathing exercises improve emotional regulation and overall mental health?

Mechanisms of breathing exercises

Autonomic nervous system regulation

Breathing exercises help regulate the autonomic nervous system by influencing the two major branches: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system which promotes the "rest and digest" state as opposed to the "fight or flight" state which is activated by the sympathetic nervous system. This shift lowers heart rate and blood pressure, while reducing the production of stress hormones like cortisol. By enhancing parasympathetic activity, breathing exercises help restore balance within the autonomic nervous system which leads to improved relaxation. Jerath, R., Edry J. W., Barned, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2006) and Kabat-Zinn, J., Massion, A. O., Kristeller, J., & Peterson L. G. (1992)

Oxygen-Carbon dioxide balance

Engaging in breathing techniques allows an optimised exchange of gas in the lungs by improving the oxygen-carbon dioxide balance. Controlled, deep breathing enchances oxygen intake and facilitates the explusion of carbon dioxide, helping to maintain a stable blood pH level. This balance prevents hyperventilation and reduces feelings of anxiety that are often associated with low carbon dioxide levels. By regulating the ratio of oxygen to carbon dioxide, breathing exercises ensure that the body's metabolic processes function smoothly, in turn promoting a sense of calm and physical well-being. Martarelli, D., Cocchioni, M., Scuri, S., & Pompei, P. (2011).

Psychophysiological coherence

Breathing exercises positively impact psychophysiological coherence by synchronising physiological processes such as heart rate, respiration, and brain activity. Through controlled breathing, heart rate variability increases, reflecting a balanced and adaptable autonomic nervous system. This coherence between physiological functions promotes a stable emotional state and enhances cognitive clarity. By fostering this coherence, breathing exercises contribute to a heightened sense of relaxation and improved overall well-being, helping individuals manage stress and maintain emotional equilibrium. McCraty, R., & Childre, D. (2010)

Types of breathing exercises

Diaphragmatic breathing

• Diaphragmatic breathing improves the amount of oxygen that enters your blood from lungs by placing a large focus on using the diaphragm to draw air deeply into the lower lungs as opposed to shallow breathing into the upper chest.
• This kind of breathing can help alleviate physical tension by encouraging a more natural and efficient breathing pattern, while activating the parasympathetic nervous system which helps to reduce stress and promote a calm state.

4-7-8 breathing

• This breathing technique Involves inhaling for a count of 4, holding for a count of 7, and exhaling slowly for a count of 8.
• The extended exhalation in this exercise activates the parasympathetic nervous system. In conjunction with this, slowing the breath and extending exhalation helps to lower heart rate and improve overall cardiovascular relaxation.
• The structured rhythm of this technique assists in improving concentration in turn limiting rumination and bringing attention to the breathing process as opposed to focusing on a stressor.

Box breathing

• Box breathing is the method of inhaling for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 4 seconds, exhaling for 4 seconds, and holding the breath again for 4 seconds.
• Similar to the 4-7-8 technique, box breathing has a rhythmic nature which fosters concentration on the breath. This practice can enhance mental clarity and reduced physical symptoms.

How are breathing exercises and relaxation related?

Prefrontal cortex

• When in a stressed state our prefrontal cortex which is responsible for decision making is impaired. Breathing exercises can help to change how we feel because different emotions are associated with different kind of breathing. Desbordes, G., Negi, N. J., & Ranganath, K. (2009)

Change of rhythm in your breath can signal relaxation and slow heart rate which stimulates the vagus nerve which runs from the brain stem to the abdomen. Thayer, J.F., & Lane, R. D. (2000). INSERT DIAGRAM OF VAGUS NERVE.

Parasympathetic nervous system

• Responsible for the bodies rest and digest activities unlike the sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for the fight or flight response. Triggering this nervous system helps to calm down and enable to ability to think rationally.
• Discuss enhanced physical relaxation.

Test your knowledge

1 What nervous system is responsible for the bodies rest and digest activities?

	Sympathetic nervous system
	Parasympathetic

2 What is NOT an example of a breathing technique?

	Box breathing
	Rapid breathing
	4-7-8 breathing
	Diaphragmatic breathing

How breathing exercises can be used in everyday routines

Breathing exercises can be seamlessly integrated into daily routines to enhance relaxation and overall well-being. By setting aside a few minutes each day for focused breathing, individuals can create a calming ritual that counters daily stressors. Simple practices, such as starting the day with a few minutes of deep breathing or incorporating breathing exercises during breaks at work, can significantly reduce tension and improve mental clarity. Additionally, practicing breathing techniques before bedtime can promote better sleep quality by calming the mind and body. Regular use of these exercises helps maintain a balanced autonomic nervous system, fosters emotional stability, and supports physical health, making them a practical and effective tool for promoting overall well-being.

Conclusion

• The Conclusion is arguably the most important section
• Suggested word count: 150 to 330 words
• It should be possible for someone to only read the Overview and the Conclusion and still get a pretty good idea of the problem and what is known based on psychological science

Suggestions for this section: What is the answer to the sub-title question based on psychological theory and research? What are the answers to the focus questions? What are the practical, take-home messages? (Even for the topic development, have a go at the likely take-home message)

See also

Provide internal (wiki) links to the most relevant Wikiversity pages (esp. related motivation and emotion book chapters) and Wikipedia articles. Use these formats:

• Light triad (Book chapter, 2021)
• Collaborative authoring using wiki (Wikiversity)
• Self determination theory (Wikipedia)

Suggestions for this section: Present in alphabetical order Use sentence casing Include the source in parentheses

References

Andas, A. M., Sansuwito, T., Mohd Said, F., Puspitasari, I., Prima, A., & Andas, N. H. (2023). The effect of box breathing on sleep disorders in elderly at Tresna Werdha Social Institution. ICMST, 19(s9), 197–204. https://doi.org/10.47836/mjmhs.19.s9.29

Cherry, K. (2024, June 17). The fight-or-flight response prepares your body to take action. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-fight-or-flight-response-2795194

Hamasaki, H. (2020). Effects of diaphragmatic breathing on Health: A Narrative Review. Medicines, 7(10), 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines7100065

Jerath, R., Edry, J. W., Barnes, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical Hypotheses, 67(3), 566–571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2006.02.042

Martarelli, D., Cocchioni, M., Scuri, S., & Pompei, P. (2011). Diaphragmatic breathing reduces exercise‐induced oxidative stress. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nep169

McCraty, D., & McCraty, R. (2023, August 14). The Science of HeartMath. HeartMath. https://www.heartmath.com/science/

Motivation and emotion/book/2015/cortisol and stress. Wikiversity. (n.d.).

https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Motivation_and_emotion/Book/2015/Cortisol_and_stress

Pal, A., Harper, R., Malhotra, A., Lavretsky, H., & Macey, P. (2022). Does an acute bout of breathing awareness meditation improve breathing stability correlated with regulatory prefrontal cortex neural activity in obstructive sleep apnea? Sleep Medicine, 100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2022.05.213

Thayer, J. F., & Lane, R. D. (2000). A model of neurovisceral integration in emotion regulation and dysregulation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 61(3), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-0327(00)00338-4

Vierra, J., Boonla, O., & Prasertsri, P. (2022). Effects of sleep deprivation and 4‐7‐8 breathing control on heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood glucose, and endothelial function in Healthy Young Adults. Physiological Reports, 10(13). https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.15389

Wikimedia Foundation. (2024a, March 1). Parasympathetic nervous system. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasympathetic_nervous_system

Wikimedia Foundation. (2024b, July 1). Sympathetic nervous system. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathetic_nervous_system

External links

Provide external links to highly relevant resources such as presentations, news articles, and professional sites. Use sentence casing. For example:

• Six top tips for writing a great essay (University of Melbourne)
• The importance of structure (skillsyouneed.com)

Suggestions for this section: Only select links to major external resources about the topic Present in alphabetical order Include the source in parentheses after the link