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Why Breathing Is So Effective at Reducing Stress

45 points by hochmartinez 6y ago

steve_adams_86 6y ago
This is fascinating to me lately. I didn’t buy into breathing exercises for years, or my entire life really, until recently when a coworker recommended trying Wim Hoff exercises. The idea that breathing should affect my mood or mental function was nonsense. It didn’t seem like it should make much of a difference. He enjoyed it so much and was so excited though, I figured what the hell, I’ll give it a shot. That was a couple months ago and now I do it almost twice a day, daily. My breath holds are well into the 3 minute range and the restful reset it provides me is becoming something I actually look forward to. It’s sort of my ‘okay, time to wake up/sleep’ activity. Get the blood going, get relaxed, get the brain ready. I never would have imagined that simply breathing would make me feel so nice. I don’t have the experience others describe, but it’s a great experience nonetheless. One of the fun features is that you can tell how well it’s working by how much better your breath holds get with each hold. As my body and mind calm and relax, my ability to hold my breath dramatically increases. The times I haven’t been able to calm or relax well due to external factors (kids arguing or loud music for example), my breath hold has tended to be consistent but much shorter. When it works, it really works.
- eyeball 6y ago
  What are wim hoff exercises?
  - tqkxzugoaupvwqr 6y ago
    Breathing exercises by a guy named Wim Hof. Search engine is your friend.
    - eyeball 6y ago
      Asking gave me several links verified to be what the person I was responding to was thinking of, rather than something possibly wrong I may find via search.
  - Confiks 6y ago
    Here's a guided exercise [1], and a video with more explanation can be found here [2]. You shouldn't forcefully exhale completely; just let go of your breath. Also, sit or lie down; don't stand or do anything else. Initial scientific evidence related to auto-immune diseases here [3], although please don't mistake interviews with Hof with science. For example his comments about "charging your body with oxygen" and "alkaline blood" are completely off; a proper explanation can be found here [4]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tybOi4hjZFQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tybOi4hjZFQ [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpUkR47dmjU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpUkR47dmjU [3] https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/111/20/7379.full.pdf https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/111/20/7379.full.pdf [4] https://www.daniel-timms.com/wim-hof-method-biology-of-breathing/ https://www.daniel-timms.com/wim-hof-method-biology-of-breat...
    - steve_adams_86 6y ago
      Right, I should have clarified that. I don’t buy into any of the oxygen super charging alkalinity stuff - I just value it for the immediate practical effects it has had. I wouldn’t encourage anyone to give it a shot for any reason other than “you’ll probably feel pretty good”.
seibelj 6y ago
No one is bored anymore. The moment you are bored you whip out your phone. It’s hard to believe but only 15 years ago people were regularly bored and learned how to stare at the wall, take a walk, and basically entertain themselves by doing nothing. Now, the moment you are bored you get super annoyed and try to entertain yourself immediately. I believe that breathing exercises are very helpful, but even more helpful now that everyone on earth forgot how to be bored and just relax for 10 minutes.

45 points by hochmartinez 6y ago

This is fascinating to me lately. I didn’t buy into breathing exercises for years, or my entire life really, until recently when a coworker recommended trying Wim Hoff exercises. The idea that breathing should affect my mood or mental function was nonsense. It didn’t seem like it should make much of a difference. He enjoyed it so much and was so excited though, I figured what the hell, I’ll give it a shot. That was a couple months ago and now I do it almost twice a day, daily. My breath holds are well into the 3 minute range and the restful reset it provides me is becoming something I actually look forward to. It’s sort of my ‘okay, time to wake up/sleep’ activity. Get the blood going, get relaxed, get the brain ready. I never would have imagined that simply breathing would make me feel so nice. I don’t have the experience others describe, but it’s a great experience nonetheless. One of the fun features is that you can tell how well it’s working by how much better your breath holds get with each hold. As my body and mind calm and relax, my ability to hold my breath dramatically increases. The times I haven’t been able to calm or relax well due to external factors (kids arguing or loud music for example), my breath hold has tended to be consistent but much shorter. When it works, it really works.

eyeball 6y ago
What are wim hoff exercises?
- tqkxzugoaupvwqr 6y ago
  Breathing exercises by a guy named Wim Hof. Search engine is your friend.
  - eyeball 6y ago
    Asking gave me several links verified to be what the person I was responding to was thinking of, rather than something possibly wrong I may find via search.
- Confiks 6y ago
  Here's a guided exercise [1], and a video with more explanation can be found here [2]. You shouldn't forcefully exhale completely; just let go of your breath. Also, sit or lie down; don't stand or do anything else. Initial scientific evidence related to auto-immune diseases here [3], although please don't mistake interviews with Hof with science. For example his comments about "charging your body with oxygen" and "alkaline blood" are completely off; a proper explanation can be found here [4]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tybOi4hjZFQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tybOi4hjZFQ [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpUkR47dmjU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpUkR47dmjU [3] https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/111/20/7379.full.pdf https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/111/20/7379.full.pdf [4] https://www.daniel-timms.com/wim-hof-method-biology-of-breathing/ https://www.daniel-timms.com/wim-hof-method-biology-of-breat...
  - steve_adams_86 6y ago
    Right, I should have clarified that. I don’t buy into any of the oxygen super charging alkalinity stuff - I just value it for the immediate practical effects it has had. I wouldn’t encourage anyone to give it a shot for any reason other than “you’ll probably feel pretty good”.

seibelj 6y ago

No one is bored anymore. The moment you are bored you whip out your phone. It’s hard to believe but only 15 years ago people were regularly bored and learned how to stare at the wall, take a walk, and basically entertain themselves by doing nothing. Now, the moment you are bored you get super annoyed and try to entertain yourself immediately. I believe that breathing exercises are very helpful, but even more helpful now that everyone on earth forgot how to be bored and just relax for 10 minutes.