How Breathing Can Help Fight the Tiger

Frantic world?

Imagine you’re heading off on a long-awaited vacation to Asia. Packing your suitcase took a month; you found the perfect mosquito spray, swimsuit, and book for the trip. You arrive at the airport a full 2 hours before your flight, check your luggage, and reach into your jacket pocket for your passport, only to find… nothing! You search frantically, dumping out your backpack, and still, nothing! Panic sets in; your hands shake, sweat beads on your forehead, and your mind races with dark thoughts. Then, you discover that your passport was quietly sitting in your pants pocket all along, and everything’s fine. But you? You’re still trembling, and your breath is coming fast like after a marathon…

In Response to Stress

So, what did we just witness? A classic stress response, also known as the fight-or-flight reaction. In moments like these, our bodies undergo a series of physiological changes to prepare us to confront a tiger—metaphorically speaking, whether it’s a real or imagined threat, from an email from your boss to a screaming child.

When stress hits, certain systems in our body slow down (like the digestive system), while others rev up (like the circulatory system). Our breathing also changes, becoming rapid and shallow, which has several effects:

• Hyperventilation: Excessive breathing that can lead to oxygen deprivation, dizziness, and even fainting over time.
• Tension: Tightness in the upper chest muscles, neck, and shoulders.
• General Arousal: Increased activation of the nervous system.

These symptoms are manageable if they’re temporary. However, chronic stress can cause these temporary changes in breathing patterns to become permanent. What are the effects?

Anyone notice a stiff neck, frequent sighing, or yawning? Or maybe you sometimes feel short of breath and get light-headed when stressed? Now you know why.

A Gateway to Greater Calm

Here’s the good news: you can work on this phenomenon on many levels. Breathing acts like a secret doorway to our autonomic nervous system, which we can’t consciously control. By working with your breath, you can indirectly influence something that seems unchangeable—the state of arousal in your nervous system. Inhaling activates the part of your nervous system responsible for mobilization—your heart speeds up. Exhaling shifts you into recovery mode, and your heart slows down. So next time you start feeling stressed, begin by paying attention to your breath. When you inhale, ensure it reaches the bottom of your ribs, front, sides, and back of your chest. How? Check out the short video below:

Repeat this technique a few times until you feel your shoulders relax and your jaw soften. If you still feel tension, you can gradually lengthen your exhale by counting the length of your inhale and then extending the exhale by 1 or 2 counts.

Simple, right? Let me know if you notice a difference, and keep breathing, no matter what’s going on!