Try five minutes of cyclic sighing: inhale in two parts and lengthen the exhale
In one month-long trial, five-minute breathing practices improved mood and slowed breathing more than equal-duration mindfulness meditation, especially exhalation-focused cyclic sighing. Inhale through the nose, take a small second inhale, then exhale slowly through the mouth. This is a small single trial with self-reported mood, but the practice is inexpensive.
What it takes
Free; five minutes daily.
What you may gain
A home-based randomized trial compared three daily five-minute breathing routines with five-minute mindfulness over 1 month: cyclic sighing emphasizing long exhalation, box breathing with equal phases, and cyclic hyperventilation with breath retention and longer inhalation/shorter exhalation. Mixed-effects analysis favored breathing practices, particularly cyclic sighing, for mood improvement and respiratory-rate reduction, both P<0.05.
Context & considerations
Repeat a nasal inhale, brief smaller top-up inhale and slow long mouth exhale for five minutes. This was one relatively small home study with questionnaire outcomes. The advantage over meditation was modest and does not solve underlying problems, but the author values the low cost and short time.
Research & references
Balban MY, Neri E, Kogon MM, et al. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine, 4(1), 100895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895