My number one breathing technique

Hi friends, welcome to the mid-week edition of The Resilience Brief. This week I am sharing a personal story of a moment that I had to put into practice what I preach. I hope it helps in case you ever find yourself in a time of stress or getting close to burnout.

My very first keynote presentation was for the Canadian Red Cross. They asked me to do a 30-minute virtual presentation for World Mental Health Day to their whole team. The topic was to be on burnout and 400 people were invited.

I was so excited (and nervous)!

As I prepared and rehearsed, plenty of doubt started to creep in. Who the hell was I to be talking to the Canadian Red Cross about burnout?! I mean, I’ve worked some long days and had some stressful moments in life and work, but I don’t deal with trauma every day. I don’t enter war zones or attend to devastated survivors. I felt like a bit of a fraud, and the panic started creeping in.

What made it even worse was that my presentation was scheduled for a day after getting off a 14-hour flight from Australia. The morning before the presentation, I landed back home in Canada, completely jet lagged and exhausted, with my family eager to see me, work to do, errands to run and a furnace to fix (it literally broke down that morning).

I managed to keep it together for most of the day, and then I began to crack.

The moment happened in the car, driving to pick my son up from his Taekwondo class. I was over-thinking it all and felt nauseous. It was ironic because this was exactly what I was scheduled to talk about! Burnout. I was experiencing what I was trying to rally against - I was zonked, exhausted, stressed.

So I pulled the car over and started taking my own advice.

You see, I had been practising the presentation for days so there was no doubt that I was ready. I knew my stuff. So, with all of that rehearsing, I just decided to use the tools that I would be presenting, right there on the side of the road. I started with my number one breathing technique, which allowed me the space to practice gratitude and then focus on whatever was in my control. I felt better within about 90 seconds.

It was a huge relief. I got back on the road, picked up my son, got to bed early and crushed the presentation the following day.

My #1 breathing technique - the physiological sigh

Ever noticed that deep double inhale and long exhale we take after crying? That’s called a physiological sigh, and it’s our body’s built-in stress relief tool. In fact, modern scientists describe it as the fastest way to reduce our body’s stress levels.

It was first discovered in the 1930s by physiologists studying sleep and breathing patterns. The physiological sigh is a natural reflex we all do unconsciously, especially during sleep or after moments of emotional distress. But the best part is that we can also use it deliberately to quickly calm our nervous system.

Without getting too far into the scientific details, the reason the physiological sigh works is because stress and anxiety cause shallow, rapid breathing, trapping carbon dioxide in the body and making us feel even more panicked. A physiological sigh helps reset this by increasing oxygen intake and offloading the excess CO2, which can immediately reduce feelings of stress.

Here’s how to actually do it.

1. Take a deep inhale through your nose.

2. Take a second, even sharper inhale (like you’re topping up your lungs).

3. Slowly exhale (with a vocal sigh) through your mouth until all the air is out.

4. Repeat 1-3 times as needed.

(Check out this video explaining it in more detail, with a demonstration).

Applying it in a stressful day.

Honestly, this tiny hack is a great tool to keep in our back pockets. It comes in handy for severe stress moments, but it can also help us with our day to day frustrations that feel like they might tip us over the edge. If emails are piling up, deadlines loom, and meetings are extremely irritating, we can pause for a physiological sigh. It takes just 10-15 seconds, but it can lower our heart rate, increase focus, and help us reset to tackle the rest of the day.

Extra points if we can find the pause to do this before responding to a frustrating email, stepping into a high-stakes meeting, or when we feel our patience running thin. Even a single physiological sigh can give us the space to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting emotionally. And that is what helps us build resilience.

It’s my secret weapon in any day. I use it before I go on stage to present, before an important meeting, or even when that inbox dings with yet another email.

Take a breath and bring it on!

Until next time friends, stay resilient.

Carre @ Resilient Minds