Stressed Out? It May Be Your Breathing

Good morning!

The end of summer is sneaking up, and suddenly the days feel busier than ever. Between juggling lingering summer plans, errands, and the thought of school routines around the corner, it’s easy to feel like there’s never a quiet moment. Wherever you are in the swirl of it all, I hope you’ve found a chance to pause, breathe, and care for yourself, even just a little. Those small moments can make a big difference, especially as the season shifts.

It’s no secret that most of us live stressed-out lives, packed with work, chores, family time, and a constant push to do more. That pressure makes it harder to slow down, notice, and simply appreciate the moment. So today, we’re turning our attention to something we all do, breathing, and exploring how it can help us reset amidst the chaos.

What makes breathing special?

Sure, oxygen in and carbon dioxide out, that’s the obvious part. But breathing also directly affects your nervous system. It’s one of the few automatic processes in your body that you can voluntarily control. You can hold your breath, slow it down, speed it up, and each of those choices tells your brain something about the state you’re in. Just think how fast you breath when you’re stressed, or how slow you breath when you’re relaxed. Let me tell you, that’s no coincidence.

Your Nervous System (I’ll be quick here, I promise)

On one hand, you have the sympathetic nervous system. This is your “fight or flight” mode that is activated when you feel any threat. Anything from running late for work to escaping a lion. It floods your body with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Your heart rate and blood pressure rise, your breathing becomes quick and shallow, and your muscles tense. At the same time, resources are diverted away from digestion and repair so you can respond quickly.

On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system does the opposite, it slows the heart, lowers blood pressure, promotes digestion, and triggers the repair processes that keep you healthy over the long term.

We need both systems, but not equally. The sympathetic side is designed for short bursts, not for being “on” all day. When it dominates for too long, it can wear down your immune system, disrupt sleep, and keep your body in a constant low-grade state of inflammation. That’s why finding ways to activate the parasympathetic side regularly isn’t just about feeling calmer, it’s about protecting your long-term health.

The Ultimate BioHack

What if I told you can actually “override” this primitive system by breathing? Out of all the things that we mentioned that the stress hormones cause, which can you really control? Breathing. When you are stressed and take slow and deep breaths it tells your brain, “Hey! That lion I thought was chasing me was nothing but a golden retriever!”, so it signals your parasympathetic system to kick in and help tone things down a few notches.

PRODUCT MENTION

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To Belly Breathe or Not to Belly Breathe?

You’ve probably heard mixed advice, some say belly breathing is best, others swear by chest breathing. Here’s the truth. Your diaphragm, the dome-shaped muscle beneath your lungs, is your main breathing muscle. Belly breathing engages it fully, bringing in more air with less effort.

Chest breathing relies on smaller, weaker muscles between your ribs, so you get less air per breath and need to breathe faster to make up the difference. That rapid pace sends the wrong signal to your brain, which can actually trigger more stress hormones. 

So yes, belly breathing is the clear winner.

A Simple Breathing Reset You Can Do Anywhere

Now I know we’ve gone over the theory, but let’s go over something actionable. Something you can do, even now. If you ever feel that jittery, wired-but-tired energy, try this breathing exercise:

1. Find your position

   Choose a place where you feel stable and supported. You can sit, stand, or lie down. If you’re seated, rest your feet flat on the floor. Let your spine be tall but relaxed. If you’re lying down, keep your arms a few inches from your sides, palms open to the sky. Your legs can stretch out or bend comfortably at the knees. Just notice the support beneath you.

2. Soften your body

   Loosen any tight clothing. Let your shoulders drop gently. Unclench your jaw.

3. Begin with the exhale

   Before counting, take a slow, full exhale through your mouth. Feel the air leave your body. Notice the subtle release, the softening, the little spaces appearing in your muscles as you let go.

4. Inhale through your nose

   Draw the breath slowly inward. Imagine the air flowing down toward your belly, filling the space like a gentle tide. There’s no force, just a natural, easy lift. Count softly to four or five as the air arrives.

5. Exhale even slower

   Let the air drift out through your mouth. Make it long, gentle, unhurried, like a quiet sigh escaping your body. Count slowly to five. Feel your chest and belly soften, your mind quiet a little more with each breath.

6. Continue for five minutes

   Keep this rhythm, steady, calm, effortless. If your thoughts wander, simply notice and bring them back to the sensation of air moving in and out, to the count, to the soft rise and fall of your belly.

That’s it. Just five minutes. Twice a day. With time, your body begins to remember calm as its default, not tension, not rush, not chaos.

Final Thoughts

Life isn’t slowing down anytime soon, but your stress response can. Every deep, slow breath is a quiet signal to your body to heal instead of brace for impact. Next time your day feels overwhelming, take a few minutes to focus on your breath and reset.

Until next week!

- Adrian Macdonald (Chief Dietitian) | The 8% Author