"Resonance Breathing" Is The Anti-Stress Hack You Can Do Anywhere

"Next time that happens, try calming yourself down with a soothing round of " resonance breathing." This technique, popular on TikTok and beyond, is about breathing in and out at the same frequency. Instead of gasping for air, holding your breath, or breathing unpredictably, you inhale for five seconds, exhale for five seconds, and focus on maintaining a rhythm. Sometimes called "coherent" or "resonance frequency breathing," the method is just that: taking equally slow and more even breaths, says Chloë Bean, LMFT, a somatic trauma therapist in Los Angeles."

"While any deep breath will feel good when you're stressed, resonance breathing evens out your inhales and exhales. According to Bean, it's a neat little trick that can activate your parasympathetic nervous system and bring your body back to a more relaxed state. "This is the rest and digest state we want to get back to during moments of distress," she says. "Your brain and body feel safe in this state, which reduces chronic stress, chronic pain, and depression.""

Resonance breathing involves inhaling and exhaling at the same slow, steady frequency, commonly five seconds in and five seconds out. The practice synchronizes heart rate and blood pressure and increases heart rate variability (HRV), thereby activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Activation of the parasympathetic system promotes a rest-and-digest state, which reduces acute distress and can lower chronic stress, chronic pain, and symptoms of depression. Resonance breathing also helps calm racing thoughts, improve sleep onset, and provide a quick, accessible method to regain physiological balance during moments of anxiety.

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