Stress, Mood & Recovery
Stress and anxiety impact everything – mood, sleep, digestion, and focus. Deep breathing helps reset the system, easing anxiety and restoring calm from within.
Harnessing the Vagus: How Deep Abdominal Breath Builds Mental Resilience
In today’s fast-paced world, chronic stress, anxiety, and depression are increasingly common. One accessible, science-backed tool – deep diaphragmatic (belly) breathing – activates the vagus nerve and shifts the body into a calmer, parasympathetic state.
- Key benefits of vagus-activating breathwork:
- Boosts oxygen exchange and gently supports core function
- Activates the vagus nerve to reduce stress and regulate mood
- Improves heart rate variability (HRV), tied to emotional resilience
- Shown to lower anxiety and support better sleep
- Helps improve focus, digestion, and overall mental clarity
What Is Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing?
Deep diaphragmatic (or belly) breathing is a technique where you breathe into the abdomen rather than the chest, using the diaphragm to draw air deeper into the lungs. On the inhale, the belly expands; on the exhale, it gently contracts.
- This approach supports the body in several ways:
- Improves oxygen exchange – helps draw air deeper for more efficient breathing
- Increases lung capacity – encourages fuller, more complete ventilation
- Supports core function – gently massages internal organs and strengthens the diaphragm
- Promotes calm – shifts the body toward rest and recovery
By engaging the diaphragm, this simple shift in breathing supports overall wellbeing, grounding both the body and the nervous system.
Vagus Nerve Activation & Why It Matters
The vagus nerve helps regulate heart rate, digestion, inflammation, and mood. Deep belly breathing activates it, calming the body and mind.
Here’s how breathwork supports vagus nerve function and emotional balance:
Breath Sends Calming Signals
Extended exhalations stimulate vagal afferents, sending soothing signals from the body to the brain.
Builds Vagal Tone & HRV
Stronger vagal tone improves heart rate variability (HRV), a key marker of resilience and nervous system health.
Supports Emotional Balance
The vagus nerve influences digestion, inflammation, and mood, helping regulate emotional well-being and restore calm.
How to Breathe for Maximum Effect
Breathwork is most effective when done consistently – even a few minutes a day can create meaningful physiological change. Below are three simple techniques to help activate the vagus nerve and support mental clarity, calm, and resilience.
Anxiety doesn’t just live in the mind – it affects your heart rate, digestion, sleep, and emotional regulation. Breathwork offers a simple, research-backed way to calm the nervous system and ease symptoms at the source.
- Three techniques you can try:
- Simple Belly Breathing : Inhale deeply through your nose into your belly (not your chest). Exhale slowly through pursed lips. Repeat for 5–10 minutes, 2–3× daily.
- Extended Exhalation (2:4 or 4:8) : Inhale for 2–4 seconds, exhale for 4–8 seconds. Lengthening the exhale increases vagal stimulation and brings calm.
- Structured Rhythms: Try 4‑7‑8 breathing or resonance breathing (about 5–6 breaths per minute) to reduce anxiety and build nervous system resilience.
Integrating Breath-work Into Daily Life
Just a few minutes a day can help reset your nervous system, improve your mood, and build resilience. Here’s how to apply it – and why it works.
Morning Wake-Up
2 minutes of belly breathing helps centre your mind, enhances focus, and activates your parasympathetic system.
Stressful Moments
One or two spirals of deep, slow breathing can ground you and reduce stress hormone levels.
Before Sleep
Techniques like 4‑7‑8 or resonance breathing calm the system and support deeper, more restorative rest.
Mindful Movement
Combine breathwork with light yoga or meditation to boost vagal tone and support emotional clarity.