Bruce Swarny, MD, Psychiatry, Livingston HealthCare
Stress today feels almost like the air we breathe—constant, invisible, and too often accepted as normal. Between financial pressures, family responsibilities, and the ever‑accelerating demands of work, many of us move through life carrying more tension than we realize. And as we age, change, though inevitable, seems more difficult to manage.
What is a person to do? Healthy outlets certainly exist. Exercise remains one of the best ways to defuse accumulated stress. Recreational pursuits can give our minds a break time to reset. But if stress mounts too high, something more may be needed.
I found myself in this situation years ago but was so caught up in it that I wasn’t aware of what it was doing to me. It took my wife pulling me aside and pointing out that I was not the same man she married to understand something was wrong. I responded by developing a practice of mindfulness meditation. This was not an easy thing to take on in rural eastern Montana twenty years ago. While it does take some time to develop, the benefits of this practice are many. If anyone is interested, this is a topic I would love to discuss in great detail! For individuals with limited time, some easy breathing techniques can help in a pinch:
Coherent Breathing. If you have the time to learn only one technique, this is the one to try. In coherent breathing, the goal is to breathe at a rate of five breaths per minute, which generally translates into inhaling and exhaling to the count of six. If you have never practiced breathing exercises before, you may have to work up to this practice slowly, starting with inhaling and exhaling to the count of three, and working your way up to six.
The steps are as follows:
- Sit upright or lie down comfortably, hands resting on your belly.
- Inhale slowly to a count of five, feeling your belly rise.
- Pause briefly.
- Exhale to a count of six.
With practice—10 to 20 minutes a day—your nervous system begins to recalibrate.
Controlled breathing may seem deceptively simple, but science increasingly supports what ancient practices like yoga and meditation have known for centuries. Slow, steady breaths can reduce stress, increase alertness, and even strengthen the immune system.
Breathing directly influences the autonomic nervous system—the engine behind our heart rate, digestion, and stress response. Anxiety, with its rapid, shallow breaths, activates the sympathetic nervous system resulting in the release of adrenaline and cortisol. Steady breathing activates the parasympathetic system, promoting calm and restoring balance to our nervous system.
Regular breathing practices can relieve anxiety, improve depressive symptoms, assist with PTSD and insomnia, and even raise levels of neurotransmitters linked to calm and well‑being.
In a world that takes so much from our attention and energy, something as elemental as breath can give something back. Stress may be endemic, but so is our capacity to meet it—with awareness, with intention, and sometimes, simply with a long, slow inhale.