A Simple 5-Minute Breathing Exercise That Keeps You Happy (Better Than Mindfulness!)
- Participants practiced 1 of 3 breathing techniques for 5 minutes each day.
- Their moods were measured using positive and negative emotion schedules
- Cyclic hyperventilation breathing exercises showed the greatest increase in positivity rate
From HIIT to exercising in a dance class, exercise has long been known to do wonders for the mind.
But researchers have found another way to boost your mood: take deep breaths.
According to the NHS, mindfulness has already been proven to help you “enjoy life more”.
Experts based at Stanford University found that people who did five minutes of deep-breathing exercises daily for a month had less anxiety and improved mood than those who did meditation alone.
A group of researchers at Stanford University in the United States found that practicing simple breathing exercises for just five minutes each day improved mood more than mindfulness meditation.
In this experiment, 108 participants were asked to practice one of three breathing techniques or mindfulness meditation at home for five minutes a day at a time that worked best for them.
The first exercise — periodic sighing — was performed by 30 people. I inhaled slowly, then took another short breath to fully inflate my lungs, and then exhaled for as long as I could.
About 21 participants tried box breathing instead. This meant inhaling, holding your breath, exhaling, and holding your exhaled breath again.
In the final exercise, cyclic hyperventilation, 33 people took a deep breath, followed by 30 full exhalations before exhaling completely.
The final 24 participants were enrolled in standard mindfulness. They did not practice specific breath control, but observed their breathing to focus their attention on the present.
After one month, participants completed two questionnaires to assess the effects of exercise on their anxiety levels.
Results were compared to two questionnaires completed by all prior to the 28-day trial.
As they wrote in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, the researchers said the effects were “significantly higher” in the Breathwork group.
The NHS describes mindfulness as ‘being more aware of the present moment: your own thoughts and feelings and the world around you’.
Deep breathing exercises may be one type of exercise employed.
Anxiety is intense, excessive, persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. People often have a rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and fatigue.
According to the mental health charity Mind, 6% of people in the UK experience generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
It is estimated that approximately 6.8 million adults in the United States (3.1% of the population) also have GAD.
In response to the findings of the study, Stanford University researcher Dr. Melis Yilmaz Barban said: Enhances sleep, energy, focus, creativity and regulates emotional and cognitive state.
Breathing exercises that emphasize the exhaling part more than the inhaling part “are more effective in reducing anxiety and improving well-being,” she added.
Researchers also assessed whether study participants saw changes in their sleep patterns.
However, a team from Stanford University looked at everyone’s sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and overall sleep score, and found no significant changes in any of the groups.
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