January 24, 2025 • 9 mins
Stress doesn't have to control your life. By understanding the physiological responses to stress and implementing simple breathing techniques, we can cultivate calmness and resilience in our daily lives.
In This Episode
• Examining how stress affects our body and mind
• Exploring the role of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
• Introducing diaphragmatic breathing for stress management
• Outlining steps for effective breathing practice
• Discussing the importance of routine and habit in relaxation
• Real-life applications of deep breathing techniques
• Rewiring our stress responses through mindfulness
Remember, your stress doesn't have to run the show. Every deep breath is a step toward a calmer, brighter you. By adopting just one moment of pause and reflection each day, you can start to shift the balance of power from stress to serenity.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Thank you.
(00:50):
We all know that stress, ugh,that heavy, nagging kind of
feeling grabs you in the momentand doesn't let go right.
But what's really going oninside your body when stress
strikes?
That's the part we rarely thinkabout.
But understanding it canactually make a world of
difference.
So picture this You've got abig deadline coming up, or maybe
(01:16):
you're stuck in traffic andrunning late.
Your body, without you evenrealizing it, starts to breathe
faster, shallow breaths thatbarely get into your lungs.
It's like you're almost holdingyour breath right.
This pattern is calledhyperventilation and, according
to clinical neuropsychologist DrChristopher Rhodes, it messes
(01:38):
with how much oxygen you'retaking in.
And when your brain isn'tgetting enough oxygen, well,
let's just say, mental clarityisn't exactly at its peak.
All of this, by the way, has alot to do with what's called the
sympathetic nervous system.
It's the part of your autonomicnervous system that's in charge
of the fight-or-flight response.
(01:59):
You know that jolt you feelwhen something startles you.
Yep, that's your sympatheticnervous system kicking into high
gear.
Your heart races, adrenalinefloods your body.
It's like your internal alarmsystem saying Danger, let's get
you ready to either fight thisthing off or run like crazy.
But here's the thing Life's notalways about escaping
(02:23):
saber-toothed tigers anymore.
Sometimes the alarm goes offfor things that aren't actually
life-threatening, like a packedinbox or someone cutting you off
on the freeway, and your bodydoesn't know the difference.
It's still like, okay, we're ina crisis, so you're stuck in
this constant state of agitation.
(02:44):
So you're stuck in thisconstant state of agitation and
that wears you down.
And here's the good news,because we all need some good
news, don't we?
The body has a built-incounterbalance to the
fight-or-flight response.
It's called the parasympatheticnervous system and it's all
(03:04):
about that.
Rest and relax, vibe.
This magical little system canslow your heart rate, regulate
your breathing and send thosehey, everything's cool signals
to your body again.
And guess what activates it?
Deep, purposeful breathing.
When you inhale deeply and letyour lungs fully expand, your
brain is like, ah, oxygenoverload.
(03:25):
The parasympathetic systemtakes over, calming you down and
bringing some balance back toyour body.
It's kind of fascinating whenyou think about it.
Just taking a moment to breathedifferently literally can
completely shift how your wholesystem is operating.
Breathe the right way andyou're not just surviving,
(03:48):
you're thriving.
All right, let's dig right in.
Diaphragmatic breathing Soundskind of technical, right, but
trust me, it's one of thesimplest things you can do and
it's genuinely life-changing.
So first step find yourself acomfortable spot.
Could be your couch, your bedor even a quiet corner at work.
(04:10):
Now sit or lie down and justrelax.
Shake out those shoulders alittle.
This isn't a workout.
It's all about letting go oftension.
Next, place one hand.
Your dominant hand works beston your diaphragm, that's the
area right below your ribcage.
(04:31):
Place one hand your dominanthand works best on your
diaphragm, that's the area rightbelow your ribcage.
The other hand just rest it onyour chest.
This way you can feel what'smoving as you breathe.
Now here comes the fun part, orat least I think it's kind of
fun.
Breathe in slowly through yournose I mean slooowly, like
(04:52):
you're I don't know smelling theworld's best slice of pizza or
something.
As you do that, the goal is tofeel your belly rise, not your
chest.
Belly.
Breathing is where the magichappens.
Counting can help too.
Try counting to, let's say,five as you inhale, but it's not
(05:14):
a race.
If five feels like it's justtoo much for now, no worries.
Start smaller, you'll get there, I promise.
Once you've filled up with air,exhale through your mouth this
time.
Exhale Through your mouth.
This time Think of blowing outbirthday candles, but slower,
(05:37):
way slower.
You want to feel everythingeasing out while your chest
gently falls.
It's like releasing all thatpent-up tension in a single
deliberate moment.
And you just keep repeatingthis Inhale, count, exhale.
Ideally, start with, oh, aboutfive minutes at a time.
Honestly, that's really all youneed to.
So here we are talking aboutbuilding that habit of
(06:00):
relaxation into our lives.
Right and honestly, it startswith just a few minutes a day.
Honestly, it starts with just afew minutes a day.
I mean five minutes, three,maybe four times a week, totally
doable, right.
Then you can slowly work yourway up to, let's say, 20 to 30
(06:23):
minutes a session, no rush.
This is all about making it fitinto your life, not the other
way around.
And look deep breathing ispowerful on its own, but why
stop there?
You could pair it with thingslike mindful meditation or yoga,
maybe even a nature walk, ifthat speaks to you.
It's all about creating a wholeroutine, like giving your mind
(06:46):
and body this fully stockedtoolkit to handle whatever life
throws at you.
It's well.
It's kind of likecross-training for your stress
levels.
Now let's bring this to reallife, because I know stress
doesn't just show up when it'sconvenient.
Picture this You're stuck intraffic and someone cuts you off
, or maybe that colleague ofyours tries to snag credit for
(07:09):
your big project.
Jeez, it's frustrating, right.
But instead of reacting, youtake a moment, find a quiet
space, if you can, even if it'sjust your car, and take a few
deep, intentional breaths.
In that moment you remindyourself I've got I've got
(07:34):
control over this.
It's amazing how that one habithelps you carry composure into
just about any situation.
And, honestly, that's thebeauty of all this.
These small, simple tweaks cankind of rewire how we handle
stress altogether.
These small, simple tweaks cankind of rewire how we handle
stress altogether.
Whether you're breathing deeply, meditating, taking a walk or
(07:57):
all of the above, you'rebuilding resilience.
You're like practicing calm thesame way you'd practice a sport
or a skill, and over time itsticks.
So why not start today?
Pick one moment, just one,where you'll pause, breathe and
let go of whatever's making youtense.
You might be surprised at whatjust five minutes can do.
(08:23):
And with that, my friends, wewrap up today's episode of
Living in Technicolor.
Remember your stress doesn'thave to run the show.
Every deep breath is a steptoward a calmer, brighter you.
Thanks so much for tuning inand hey, take care of yourselves
(09:30):
out there.
See you next time.
Thank you, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm.
Thank you.
(00:50):
We all know that stress, ugh,that heavy, nagging kind of
feeling grabs you in the momentand doesn't let go right.
But what's really going oninside your body when stress
strikes?
That's the part we rarely thinkabout.
But understanding it canactually make a world of
difference.
So picture this You've got abig deadline coming up, or maybe
(01:16):
you're stuck in traffic andrunning late.
Your body, without you evenrealizing it, starts to breathe
faster, shallow breaths thatbarely get into your lungs.
It's like you're almost holdingyour breath right.
This pattern is calledhyperventilation and, according
to clinical neuropsychologist DrChristopher Rhodes, it messes
(01:38):
with how much oxygen you'retaking in.
And when your brain isn'tgetting enough oxygen, well,
let's just say, mental clarityisn't exactly at its peak.
All of this, by the way, has alot to do with what's called the
sympathetic nervous system.
It's the part of your autonomicnervous system that's in charge
of the fight-or-flight response.
(01:59):
You know that jolt you feelwhen something startles you.
Yep, that's your sympatheticnervous system kicking into high
gear.
Your heart races, adrenalinefloods your body.
It's like your internal alarmsystem saying Danger, let's get
you ready to either fight thisthing off or run like crazy.
But here's the thing Life's notalways about escaping
(02:23):
saber-toothed tigers anymore.
Sometimes the alarm goes offfor things that aren't actually
life-threatening, like a packedinbox or someone cutting you off
on the freeway, and your bodydoesn't know the difference.
It's still like, okay, we're ina crisis, so you're stuck in
this constant state of agitation.
(02:44):
So you're stuck in thisconstant state of agitation and
that wears you down.
And here's the good news,because we all need some good
news, don't we?
The body has a built-incounterbalance to the
fight-or-flight response.
It's called the parasympatheticnervous system and it's all
(03:04):
about that.
Rest and relax, vibe.
This magical little system canslow your heart rate, regulate
your breathing and send thosehey, everything's cool signals
to your body again.
And guess what activates it?
Deep, purposeful breathing.
When you inhale deeply and letyour lungs fully expand, your
brain is like, ah, oxygenoverload.
(03:25):
The parasympathetic systemtakes over, calming you down and
bringing some balance back toyour body.
It's kind of fascinating whenyou think about it.
Just taking a moment to breathedifferently literally can
completely shift how your wholesystem is operating.
Breathe the right way andyou're not just surviving,
(03:48):
you're thriving.
All right, let's dig right in.
Diaphragmatic breathing Soundskind of technical, right, but
trust me, it's one of thesimplest things you can do and
it's genuinely life-changing.
So first step find yourself acomfortable spot.
Could be your couch, your bedor even a quiet corner at work.
(04:10):
Now sit or lie down and justrelax.
Shake out those shoulders alittle.
This isn't a workout.
It's all about letting go oftension.
Next, place one hand.
Your dominant hand works beston your diaphragm, that's the
area right below your ribcage.
(04:31):
Place one hand your dominanthand works best on your
diaphragm, that's the area rightbelow your ribcage.
The other hand just rest it onyour chest.
This way you can feel what'smoving as you breathe.
Now here comes the fun part, orat least I think it's kind of
fun.
Breathe in slowly through yournose I mean slooowly, like
(04:52):
you're I don't know smelling theworld's best slice of pizza or
something.
As you do that, the goal is tofeel your belly rise, not your
chest.
Belly.
Breathing is where the magichappens.
Counting can help too.
Try counting to, let's say,five as you inhale, but it's not
(05:14):
a race.
If five feels like it's justtoo much for now, no worries.
Start smaller, you'll get there, I promise.
Once you've filled up with air,exhale through your mouth this
time.
Exhale Through your mouth.
This time Think of blowing outbirthday candles, but slower,
(05:37):
way slower.
You want to feel everythingeasing out while your chest
gently falls.
It's like releasing all thatpent-up tension in a single
deliberate moment.
And you just keep repeatingthis Inhale, count, exhale.
Ideally, start with, oh, aboutfive minutes at a time.
Honestly, that's really all youneed to.
So here we are talking aboutbuilding that habit of
(06:00):
relaxation into our lives.
Right and honestly, it startswith just a few minutes a day.
Honestly, it starts with just afew minutes a day.
I mean five minutes, three,maybe four times a week, totally
doable, right.
Then you can slowly work yourway up to, let's say, 20 to 30
(06:23):
minutes a session, no rush.
This is all about making it fitinto your life, not the other
way around.
And look deep breathing ispowerful on its own, but why
stop there?
You could pair it with thingslike mindful meditation or yoga,
maybe even a nature walk, ifthat speaks to you.
It's all about creating a wholeroutine, like giving your mind
(06:46):
and body this fully stockedtoolkit to handle whatever life
throws at you.
It's well.
It's kind of likecross-training for your stress
levels.
Now let's bring this to reallife, because I know stress
doesn't just show up when it'sconvenient.
Picture this You're stuck intraffic and someone cuts you off
, or maybe that colleague ofyours tries to snag credit for
(07:09):
your big project.
Jeez, it's frustrating, right.
But instead of reacting, youtake a moment, find a quiet
space, if you can, even if it'sjust your car, and take a few
deep, intentional breaths.
In that moment you remindyourself I've got I've got
(07:34):
control over this.
It's amazing how that one habithelps you carry composure into
just about any situation.
And, honestly, that's thebeauty of all this.
These small, simple tweaks cankind of rewire how we handle
stress altogether.
These small, simple tweaks cankind of rewire how we handle
stress altogether.
Whether you're breathing deeply, meditating, taking a walk or
(07:57):
all of the above, you'rebuilding resilience.
You're like practicing calm thesame way you'd practice a sport
or a skill, and over time itsticks.
So why not start today?
Pick one moment, just one,where you'll pause, breathe and
let go of whatever's making youtense.
You might be surprised at whatjust five minutes can do.
(08:23):
And with that, my friends, wewrap up today's episode of
Living in Technicolor.
Remember your stress doesn'thave to run the show.
Every deep breath is a steptoward a calmer, brighter you.
Thanks so much for tuning inand hey, take care of yourselves
(09:30):
out there.
See you next time.
Thank you, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm.
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