The Slow Exhale: Cyclic Sighing

Breathe in through the nose, take a second short sip in, then breathe out long and slow through the mouth.

Solid evidenceBalban et al., 2023 · Cell Reports Medicine, five minutes a day of cyclic sighing; Fincham et al., 2023 · Scientific Reports meta-analysis of breathwork

One randomised trial found cyclic sighing improved mood more than mindfulness; a breathwork meta-analysis supports stress reduction, but replications of the specific method are few.

Why it works

A long exhale slows the heart and calms the body's stress response. One or two sighs can be done mid-meeting without anyone noticing.

How to do it

  1. Inhale through the nose.
  2. Add a short second sip of air.
  3. Exhale slowly through the mouth, longer than the inhale.
  4. One or two in a meeting; five minutes daily for practice.

What to say

Let me think about that for a moment.

Good question. Give me a second.

Avoid

Sighing loudly in front of the other person. It reads as impatience.

Example

Before calling back an angry client in Indore, Devendra did three cyclic sighs at his desk. His voice was steady from the first line.

Practise it

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