İhsan ErenLet’s do it together
Breathing guide
Sit or lie down somewhere comfortable. As the circle grows, breathe in through your nose; when you feel full, add one more short breath in. As the circle shrinks, breathe out slowly through your mouth.
Start when you’re ready
Two breaths in through your nose, one long breath out through your mouth.
Duration
Pace
If you feel dizzy, go back to your normal breathing. If the pace doesn’t suit you, change it; what matters is that your breath out is longer than your breath in.
What did the research find?
In the Stanford study, 108 people practised one of four methods for 5 minutes a day for a month: cyclic sighing, box breathing, rapid breathing with breath holds, or mindfulness meditation. Participants rated their emotions before and after each session, and a device on their wrist measured their breathing rate and heart rate.
- The daily increase in positive emotions was greater in the breathing groups than with meditation; the effect was clearest with cyclic sighing.
- In people who practised regularly, the benefit grew over time.
- Resting breathing rate fell in the breathing groups, especially with cyclic sighing; no similar change was seen with meditation.
- Anxiety fell in all groups, with no difference between them.
Why breathe in twice?
Sighing is the body’s own tool: without noticing, we sigh on our own every few minutes. These deep breaths reopen the tiny air sacs in the lungs that have deflated. In cyclic sighing, you repeat this natural reflex on purpose.
Breathe in through your nose
Breathe in slowly until your lungs feel comfortably full.
Once more
At the point where you feel full, add a short second breath in; it can be a small one.
Take a long breath out
Breathe out slowly through your mouth until all the air is out. Let your breath out last longer than your breath in.
5 minutes
Repeat for 5 minutes every day. A few rounds can also help in a tense moment.
For more breathing exercises and skills for coping with stress, see What can you do in stressful moments?; if you have trouble falling asleep, see For a good night’s sleep.
Video
The physiological sigh
A short, widely watched video in which Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, one of the study’s authors, explains how to do the sigh and why it works.
Reduce anxiety and stress with the physiological sigh
Explains what breathing in twice and breathing out long does in the body.
Frequently asked questions
What time of day should I do it?
In the study, participants did it at whatever time of day they chose. Pick a time that can become a habit: before your morning coffee, at lunchtime or before bed. You can also do a few rounds in a tense moment.
Is it better than meditation?
In this study, the increase in positive emotions and the drop in breathing rate were clearer with cyclic sighing, while anxiety fell by a similar amount in all groups. This is a single study, and meditation remains a useful method too. Choose whatever works for you.
What should I do if I feel dizzy?
Go back to your normal breathing straight away. Don’t force your breath; the second breath in can be short and light. If you have a lung condition such as asthma or COPD, do it at a pace that feels comfortable.
How is it different from the breathing exercises on the stress page?
The stressful moments page covers 4-6, box and 4-7-8 breathing. What sets cyclic sighing apart is two breaths in, one straight after the other, followed by one long breath out. All of them rely on lengthening the breath out; choose whichever you find most comfortable.
Sources
- Balban MY, Neri E, Kogon MM, et al. Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Rep Med. 2023;4(1):100895.
- Li P, Janczewski WA, Yackle K, et al. The peptidergic control circuit for sighing. Nature. 2016;530(7590):293-297.