How to be Present and De-Stress in Minutes
May 30, 2025
How to be Present and De-Stress in Minutes
Happy Summer Time!
Can you believe we are half way through the year and half through the 2020’s….. Read that again. This summer I invite you to spend some time thinking about what you want the next 6 months of your life to be like and how that will impact the next 5 years.
Summer Time can mean a slower vibe for some of us however, for others it can be hectic… holiday travel, kids home from school while you are still working etc, etc. That is why I wanted to share this important practice with you. It can provide immediate support and focus and also provide the building block for a lifelong practice.
How to be Present and De-Stress in Minutes
We all have busy lives and we tend to forget how important it is to take the time to focus on our breath. Without breath there is no life. Breath is so valuable in that it is a major source of detoxification. Many people think we breath in for oxygen… the opposite is true: We breath out to release CO2. So, imagine if you increased your lung capacity by doing some intentional breathwork just how beneficial that would be for your health and overall wellbeing.
Controlled breathing can cause physiological changes that include:
- lowered blood pressure and heart rate.
- reduced levels of stress hormones in the blood.
- reduced lactic acid build-up in muscle tissue.
- balanced levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.
- improved immune system functioning
- increased energy in the mitochondria
- increased a sense of calm and safety by stimulating the Vagus Nerve
- refocusing so we can dial in on a task.
Those of you that have known me for a while know that I am a big fan of breathwork. I personally do intentional breathwork every day before and after my yoga practice. It has truly helped me handle life’s ups and downs. It has also helped me with focus and what I call a “Change of State.”
If I have been doing something like a project and I start to feel that mental slowness or start to shallow breathe due to the pressure to complete a project on time… I stop and change my state.
How to be Present and De-Stress in Minutes
Emotions are a delicate balance of chemicals that make us feel a certain way.
For example:
- when we feel relief, we sigh
- when we find something funny, we laugh
- when we are moved emotionally, we cry/sob
- when we are shocked, we gasp
- when we are happy, we hum
- when we are in anticipation, we hold our breath
- when we are stressed, we shallow breathe or even hold our breath.
These various breathing signatures can be utilized as a tool to induce an emotional state in the body. This means that if we breathe a certain way, we can feel a certain way. It can also be a useful tool as you observe others. It will help you understand their emotions.
We can experience the emotion after the breath changes or we can create the emotion by changing our breath!
So, the next time you want to feel a sense of relief, reduce anxiety, refocus on a project or de-stress, try this…
How to Focus and De-Stress in Minutes with the Physiologic Sigh
- Sit up straight and close your eyes
- Fully exhale your breath, emptying your lungs
- Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth
- Take a deep breath in through your nose, filling your belly and lungs
- Now take a few sharp sips of air through your mouth
- Hold for a count of ten
- Release with an audible sigh through your mouth (“ahhhhh”)
- Empty your lungs completely
- Repeat x 5
- Take a deeper breath with each round, fully releasing each time
Start off with the physiological sigh as an easy way to re-focus and calm your nerves. If you’re a parent, coach, or teacher, this is a great technique to use to start your conversation or session.
Here is a link to my Breathwork Handout if you are curious and want to learn more.
For those of you who like visuals here is a link to James Nester’s You Tube
Author of the bestselling book Breathe
Have a Healthy Week, Happy start of Summer and Happy breathing!
Dr Pia
