A. Pawlowski is a TODAY health reporter focusing on health news and features. Previously, she was a writer, producer and editor at CNN.
It’s hard to relax when times are uncertain, world events move at an unsettling speed and news headlines are grim. All that stress takes a toll on the body, especially the heart. Mental health experts say it’s important to break the cycle and find ways to relax throughout the day.
One simple and effective practice takes just one minute. Therapist Tip of the Day: Try Box Breathing To Settle Down in 1 Minute Niro Feliciano, psychotherapist and TODAY contributor, says military special forces combat units use this one-minute deep breathing technique to train their minds and bodies to be calm, and take them out of fight-or-flight mode. “It doesn't take very long to experience that,” Feliciano tells TODAY.com. “ very simple.” Box breathing involves cycles of inhaling, holding the breath, then exhaling to relieve stress and calm the nervous system. Why It Matters Physical or psychological stressors can send the body into fight-or-flight mode. Adrenaline and cortisol are released into the blood, causing the heart to pound and blood pressure to rise. Breathing quickens and muscles tense in response to the perceived threat. If that happens all the time with chronic stress, it can harm a person’s health, the National Library of Medicine warns. Possible problems include having trouble sleeping, stomach problems and headaches. The constant high-alert mode also causes systemic strain that can lead to anxiety, heart disease and high blood pressure. How to Get Started Practice box breathing to break the cycle, Feliciano says. “You can set an alarm on your phone every three hours, or periodically throughout the day” as a reminder to do it, she advises. For her version of box breathing: Inhale for four seconds.Exhale for six seconds.Repeat the cycle six times, which amounts to one minute. This 3-minute guided breathing podcast in the Start TODAY app walks you through the technique step-by-step. “I always say longer exhalation is the key to relaxation. That longer exhalation will stimulate the vagus nerve and take you out of fight or flight,” Feliciano says. “You want the exhale to be longer than the inhale. That's the key.” The vagus nerve is the longest in the body, and stimulating it promotes calmness and relaxation, doctors at Cedars-Sinai note. Some versions of box breathing also recommend holding the breath for four or five counts after each inhale and exhale. If your heart is beating fast, try other ways to lower your pulse quickly — it can be as simple as blowing on a straw, cardiologists say. Try these other guided breathing exercises and meditations designed to calm your nervous system and combat stress: Breath Work and Meditation to Release Negative Emotions4-4-8 Breathing Technique: Breath Work to Find Calm15-Minute Stress Relief Meditation TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
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