What is a deep breath?

Keep calm 😌 and take a deep breath!

Whenever you get the urge to take a deep breath, remember that deep doesn't mean big.

just take a deep breath cartoon

Here's what to do to benefit from the relaxation effect of a deep breath:

★Close your mouth.

★Inhale through your nose.

★Bring the breath deep down, away from your nose, all the way to your diaphragm.

★Exhale through your nose.

This will:

➡️slow down your breathing

➡️improve delivery of oxygen to your tissues and organs, including your brain

➡️stimulate the vagus nerve and switch on the relaxation response.

And help:

➡️calm your nerves, calm your mind

➡️improve your focus

Let's take a look at what happens when you take a big breath instead:

❌ Big breath in means big breath out (most likely).

This leads to offloading more than necessary carbon dioxide. This leads to:
- less oxygen being delivered to your tissues and organs
- constriction of blood vessels

❌ Big breath means shallow breath (most likely).

This leads to faster than necessary breathing.
- This turns on the stress response of the body.

Stay healthy, stay happy.