Mentis- Inhale through the nose, add a second short inhale on top, then exhale slowly through the mouth until you're empty.
- Two or three sighs to settle quickly. Five minutes a day as a practice.
- In a 2023 Stanford trial, daily cyclic sighing improved mood more than mindfulness meditation.
- In Mentis, it's called "Two Sighs", from the Work stress and Overthinking plans.
How do you do two sighs?
- Breathe in through your nose, about three-quarters full.
- Take a second, shorter inhale on top, through the nose, to fill right up. It's like a little sniff.
- Breathe out slowly through your mouth, longer than both inhales together, until your lungs feel empty.
- Do it once more. Then breathe normally and notice your shoulders.
That's it. Two sighs take about 20 seconds. If you have five minutes, keep going at a slow, comfortable pace. The exhale should always be the longest part.
Why does sighing calm you down?
When you're stressed, you breathe faster and shallower, and some of the tiny air sacs in your lungs partly collapse. The double inhale pops them back open, and the long exhale gets rid of more carbon dioxide. A long exhale also slows your heart rate through the vagus nerve. This is why your body sighs on its own after a cry, or as you drift off.
In 2023, researchers at Stanford compared three breathing exercises with mindfulness meditation. 111 people practised for five minutes a day for a month. Cyclic sighing gave the biggest improvement in mood and the biggest drop in breathing rate, more than meditation (Balban et al., 2023).
When should you use it?
- Right after a hard moment: a sharp email, a tense call, a horn-blaring auto ride.
- Just before something: walking into a review, picking up a call from home. In the Work plan, this is "Ninety Seconds Before You Go In".
- When a loop starts: pair it with naming the feeling. The Work plan's "Two Sighs, And A Name On It" asks you to do two sighs, then say in one word what you're feeling.
- In bed: a few slow sighs as you lie down.
Where is it in the Mentis app?
"Two Sighs" is a short guided audio in chapter 1 of the Work stress plan. It comes back in chapter 5, "Steady when it spikes", and in the last chapter of the Overthinking plan. Want a slower practice? Try box breathing or hand-on-belly breathing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a physiological sigh?
A double inhale through the nose followed by a long, slow exhale through the mouth. Your body does it naturally, for example after crying or just before sleep, to reset breathing. Doing it on purpose is a quick way to calm down.
How many times should I do it?
Two or three sighs are often enough to feel a shift. For a longer practice, the 2023 Stanford study used five minutes of continuous cyclic sighing a day.
Is cyclic sighing better than meditation?
In one month-long trial, five minutes a day of cyclic sighing improved mood more than mindfulness meditation did. It's one study, but the technique is simple, safe and quick to try.
Can I do this in a meeting?
Yes. Do it quietly through the nose and let the exhale out slowly through slightly parted lips. Nobody will notice.