The Physiological Sigh: A Fast-Acting Reset for Your Nervous System
The physiological sigh is a simple, science-backed breathing technique that offers one of the fastest ways to reduce stress and rebalance the nervous system. Originally observed in sleep and stress states, it consists of two quick inhales through the nose, followed by a slow, extended exhale through the mouth.
This technique works by rapidly offloading carbon dioxide, increasing oxygen saturation, and reactivating the parasympathetic nervous system—the part responsible for rest and recovery. Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford, has highlighted the physiological sigh as the most efficient way to calm the body quickly, citing laboratory data showing significant reductions in respiratory rate and perceived stress within 1–3 cycles (Huberman Lab, 2022).
In a 2023 randomized study published in Cell Reports Medicine, researchers found that individuals who practiced the physiological sigh for just 5 minutes daily over 1 month experienced significantly greater reductions in anxiety and physiological arousal compared to other breathwork or mindfulness techniques, including box breathing and cyclic hyperventilation (Balban et al., 2023).
How to Do It:
Inhale deeply through your nose until you feel full of air.
Take in a second, shorter burst through your nose.
Quickly sigh out of your mouth until all the air is out.
Repeat 1–3 times, or continue for a few minutes.
Whether you’re coming off a tough call, preparing for a high-stakes conversation, or just trying to reset between tasks, this quick breath can shift you from fight-or-flight back into calm presence—in less than a minute.
Use this when you, someone you love, or someone on a call:
Feels overwhelmed, anxious, or panicked and needs immediate calm
Is breathing fast, shallow, or can’t seem to catch their breath
Just got off a stressful call, meeting, or encounter and needs to reset
Is about to walk into a high-stakes situation and needs to stay composed
Feels tension building in the chest, shoulders, or jaw
Needs a quick, private way to ground and regulate in under 60 seconds
Watch this 3 minute video with Dr. Huberman and actually DO the physiological sigh to see how you feel.