Breathe To Beat Stress

Bring on instant Zen with simple techniques you can do anytime, anywhere.

- Danielle McNally

I’VE ALWAYS BEEN an A student, which is why it was totally deflating when I got a D (a D!) on the most basic of assignments: breathing. After monitoring my inhalations and exhalations, clinical psychologist Belisa Vranich, PsyD, author of Breathe, gave me my near-failing grade on this most basic of bodily functions, with just one small consolation: 9 out of 10 people are just as bad at it as I am. It turns out that most adults are shoulder breathers; when we inhale, our shoulders rise, engaging the upper back muscles. This type of vertical breathing only makes space for air in the narrowest, tippy-top part of the lungs, says Vranich. It’s the exact opposite of how the body was designed to breathe…and such shallow breaths actually send danger signals to the nervous system, spiking stress hormones

The result: “Your heart rate goes up, your blood pressure goes up, and your immune system goes down,” explains Vranich. Yup, even if you’re in the middle of a massage or sitting on the couch, watching the hilarious Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. You may be laughing, but your body thinks you’re stressed out.