Science says: this is why sighing is just right

As I let out another deep sigh from behind my laptop, my sister looks at me questioningly from the other side of the kitchen table. Is something wrong or do I need help with something? When we sigh, we often think of negativity: the irritations in life. But according to research, this need not be the case at all. It actually turns out to be very healthy to take a good sigh now and then.

Just reset

One of those full of frustration does stand out; but without realising it, we all sigh a lot in a day. It is part of our breathing rhythm, the occasional extra deep breath in and out. According to Elke Vlemincx, a lecturer at the Free University of Amsterdam, this keeps our lungs healthy. “The pulmonary alveoli open completely that way. It keeps the lung tissue healthy and flexible and the oxygen exchange optimal.” That's not all: sighing also helps us in moments of stress or anxiety. It's actually like pressing your body's reset button for a moment. Muscle tension reduces and you regain some control over your breathing. So that's also why we take a deep breath before doing anything exciting. “It provides the transition from one situation to another, so the breathing matches the task,” Vlemincx says. And say honestly: how many job interviews have you stepped in after first sighing very deeply? So it helps you relax more and therefore actually very good.

The right sigh

Stanford University conducted research into exactly how sighing can then help you when you are stressed. According to the researchers, in moments like that, you actually end up in a kind of anxiety spiral. Your heart rate and breathing go up and your muscles tighten, all of which create that restless feeling in your body. To feel calm again, you will have to break that negative spiral, and the best way to do that is with cyclic sighing. It may sound like something very technical and complicated, but it is actually quite simple. You breathe in gently through your nose, and just when you think your lungs are full, you breathe in deeper. Then you exhale again very gently, until really all the air is out of your lungs again. Repeat this for about five minutes, and you will see that you feel a lot more relaxed. By really taking the time to breathe in the right way, according to the research, you can reduce anxiety, improve your mood as well as reduce the physical effects of stress diminish. So, the next time someone complains because you are sighing so much, you have the perfect reason to just get on with it.

Source: Women's Health | Image: Netflix