If you have ever played a sport, you can probably sympathize with athletes who have a catastrophic meltdown at the exact moment that they need to perform at their best. The phenomenon of failing badly when the stakes are high is known as “choking”, something that happens when an athlete’s ability to perform is disrupted both mentally and physically by anxiety.
Sports psychologist David Shearers has long been helping athletes improve their ability to respond positively and control situations once anxiety creeps up, and he believes the breathing technique he uses to help athletes can help you too when you need to keep a “cool head.”
To do the breathing technique, which is known as HRV biofeedback, all you need to do is pace your breathing at around six breaths per minute, while providing visual feedback of the effect this has on the heart. This breathing rate automatically results in synchronization between breathing and heart rate, such that our heart rate increases on inhaling, and decreases on exhaling.
This coherence, technically known as “respiratory sinus arrhythmia,” naturally increases heart rate variability, while decreasing blood pressure and lowering our average heart rate. In other words, it helps you regain your ideal performance state and helps to calm emotional turmoil. But the benefits of HRV biofeedback are not reserved for elite athletes.
Modern life is stressful for everyone, with many sources of hassle at work and at home. Evidence indicates that adopting a regular, long-term schedule of breathing practice at around six breaths per minute for 10 minutes every day could help improve the body’s ability to manage stress.
