We’ve all had those moments where the world feels like it’s crashing down on our heads.
You need to make a presentation in 3 hours, but you’re staring at slide 40 of 47, you missed a deadline, or you show up for class having completely forgotten today is the test (cue the iconic stress dream).
Your stress response kicks into high gear faster than you can tell yourself, “I’m not in danger”.
Your mouth goes dry, your heart pounds, your armpits sweat, and your palms get clammy.
Your brain floods with survival chemicals as if you’re being chased by Voldemort, instead of just… Tuesday.
You’re Not Broken—You’re Just a Mammal
Just reading this is probably creating stress for you! That’s because you can’t get past the fact that you’re a mammal, complete with a primitive stress response that’s been faithfully doing its job for tens of thousands of years—without so much as a software update.
Your nervous system is still running on Flintstones programming in the age of the Jetsons. And the “always on” nature of modern life keeps it stuck in a perpetual state of “This feels like an emergency!”
The Smoke Alarm Problem
When you can’t find the off switch, this overactive alarm system starts to create real harm to your mental and physical health.
It’s like having a smoke alarm that goes off every time you make toast—technically working as designed, but actually creating more stress!
Meet Your Built-In Calm Button: Your Breath
While we can’t ditch our ancient nervous systems, we do come equipped with an internal reset system: our breath.
Deep inhales and slow exhales stimulate the vagus nerve—your hotline to the parasympathetic “rest and digest” system. Here’s how it works:
4 Ways Deep Breathing Helps Stop Stress in Its Tracks
1. Regulates Heart Rate Variability (HRV)Improved HRV = better emotional regulation and reduced anxiety.
✨ Key result: Your body becomes more flexible and adaptive under stress.
2. Reduces Carbon Dioxide SensitivityShallow breathing makes you feel dizzy or anxious. Deep breathing restores balance.
✨ Key result: You feel grounded, with less sense of panic or disorientation.
3. Improves Oxygen DeliveryBelly breathing gets oxygen to lower lungs = clearer thinking and calmer reactions.
✨ Key result: You feel less disoriented, more in control emotionally.
4. Interrupts the Feedback Loop of StressDeep breathing breaks the pattern of automatic stress reactivity.
✨ Key result: You gain agency to respond with intention instead of reflex.
Two Simple Breathing Techniques to Try:
No fancy tricks required—just tools you can pull out of your back pocket in a stressful moment.
Coherent Breathing
Inhale for 5–6 seconds
Exhale for 5–6 seconds
Keep the breath even and steady
Physiological Sigh
Inhale through your nose (full breath)
Take a second short inhale (top-off)
Long, slow, sighing exhale through your mouth
Repeat 2–3 times
This mimics the body’s natural sigh reflex and helps calm your system fast.
Warmly,
Dr. Krista
Olive Says:
Remember, your stress response isn’t broken – it’s just overenthusiastic, like Birdy.
A few conscious breaths can remind your nervous system that you’re not in mortal peril, just navigating the beautiful chaos of being human.
You’ve got this!