Reasons Why It's Not a Good Idea to "Take a Deep Breath" When Stressed Out

You often find yourself anxious amid the unstable circumstances that rule today's world. You might dread meetings, especially when your manager emails you to talk. Your mind races, wondering what happened or how you will justify it.

When the time finally comes to talk, your anxiety takes over your body. You're tense at first, and as soon as you call your manager, your heartbeats pick up, and your hands start to sweat.

As these symptoms persist, you start to breathe quickly and shallowly. You try a few ways to keep your head, recalling the famous "Take a deep breath."

Following this advice, you start taking deep breaths. Does it help, though?

It's a common misconception that deep breathing can be soothing; however, this is not the case. You have to learn the basics of the breathing process in humans to understand why deep breathing could have adverse outcomes.

How the Breathing Process Works?

Breathing is an automatic action that most of us perform unconsciously. This process is governed by the autonomic nervous system, which has two components:

• The sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates the fight-or-flight response.
• The parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes the body after stimulation.

The breathing process works in harmony with these systems. The diaphragm drops upon inhaling, expanding the ribcage and allowing air to fill the lungs. This exerts pressure on the heart, which limits blood flow to and from the organ.

The heart rate accelerates in response to this blood flow restriction and activates the sympathetic nervous system.

The diaphragm rises, and the rib cage contracts upon exhaling. The lungs expel air, and the body relaxes, activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Exhaling rather than inhaling is what stimulates relaxation in your body.

Does Taking a Deep Breath Help You Relax?

Based on how the respiratory process works, taking quick, deep breaths can lead to hyperventilation, thus inhaling too much carbon dioxide and reducing blood flow to the brain. Stress or panic frequently results in hyperventilation.

Those who tell you to "take a deep breath" think that by doing so, they can protect you from hyperventilating when they encourage you to stop breathing quickly. The thing is, inhaling and holding a lot of air is hyperventilation because you're still stimulating your sympathetic nervous system.

Take Deep Breaths to Help Your Body Relax

It is quite normal for the body to respond to anxiety with excessive breathing. The good news is that humans can control their breathing rate and manage their mental state.

People can change their breathing patterns, meaning they can train themselves to respond to hyperventilation with an intentional, conscious breathing pattern that promotes relaxation.

So, when you try to manage your anxiety during your phone call with your manager, focus on extending your exhalation rather than taking a deep breath.

Some researchers recommend a specific inhalation-exhalation ratio for achieving more relaxed breathing. For instance, Harvard Medical School medical psychologist Dr. Inna Kahzan recommends a 4:6 ratio—40% of the breathing cycle for inhalation and 60% for exhalation. This promotes slow and low abdominal breathing, emphasizing attention "to the location of breathing, smooth transitions between breathing in and out, and full, deep exhalation without concentrating on how deeply you inhaled."

Although the optimal breath counts for you may vary based on your natural breathing rate—some people naturally breathe at a higher or lower rate than others—a rough estimate of this ratio is to inhale for four seconds and then exhale for six.

It's noteworthy that emphasizing prolonged exhalation to relax your breathing is not new. In fact, prolonged exhalation is a major part of many yoga traditions. Some researchers have tested the effects of Pranayama, aka breath control in yoga, where the inhalation-exhalation ratio is 1:2, meaning inhalation is slower than exhalation for asthmatic patients.

Practice Deep Breathing and Reduce Stress by Focusing on Exhalation Rather than Inhalation

The next time you feel stressed, take a minute to walk yourself through a mindful breathing practice in which you inhale for four seconds and exhale for six.

Focus on taking a normal breath, neither too long nor too short, and then slowly extend the exhalation.

You'll start to feel at ease, which will help you focus more clearly on upcoming challenges. Like many things, training is necessary to control the nervous system through breathing. Thus, you must add prolonged exhalation to your everyday practice.

Regardless of your mental state, set aside some time each day to practice prolonged exhalation for two to five minutes or until you observe a relaxation in your breathing rhythm. This could be the building block for enhancing your mental acuity as a leader.

Just like with any habit, regular practice will help you get better at prolonging your exhalation during intense anxiety, panic, or stress.

Winding it Up

Encourage your friends and family to practice a similar breathing exercise when they feel anxious. In addition, "extend the exhalation process" is better advice when something unexpected or stressful happens than "take a deep breath."