A physiological sigh is two inhales through the nose, a full breath and then a short top-up, followed by a long, slow exhale. In a small month-long study of healthy adults, practicing it for five minutes a day as cyclic sighing was linked to a more positive mood and slower breathing at rest (Balban and colleagues, 2023). Follow the circle below; the counts are a guide, so go at your own pace.
The timer uses about 3 seconds in, 1 second to top up and 7 seconds out. That’s our suggested pace, not the study’s: participants set their own. What matters is an exhale that’s longer than the inhale.
In a 2023 randomized study, 108 healthy adults were randomly assigned to one of three breathing exercises or mindfulness meditation for five minutes a day for a month (Balban and colleagues). Cyclic sighing produced the biggest rise in positive mood and the largest drop in breathing rate at rest, and the authors called it promising as a stress-management exercise.
What it didn’t show: anxiety and negative mood fell in every group, mindfulness included, with no meaningful difference between them. The study was small, remote and self-reported, included only healthy adults, and ended after four weeks. A wider review of breathwork trials found small-to-medium effects on self-reported stress that should be read with caution (Fincham and colleagues, 2023).
| Pattern | Rhythm | Breath holds | Often used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-7-8 breathing | In 4, hold 7, out 8 | Yes, one long | Winding down before sleep |
| Box breathing | 4-4-4-4 | Yes, two short | A steady, even rhythm |
| Coherent breathing | About 5.5 s in, 5.5 s out | No | Longer, steady sessions |
| Physiological sigh | Two inhales, one long exhale | No | A quick reset, or 5 minutes a day |
If breath holds feel uncomfortable, try one of the two patterns without holds.
A physiological sigh is a breath made of two inhales through the nose, a full one and a short top-up, followed by one long exhale. Repeated for a few minutes as an exercise, it’s usually called cyclic sighing.
The study used five minutes a day. Many people also take just one to three sighs as a quick reset; that’s common advice, but it hasn’t been studied on its own.
In the 2023 study it lifted positive mood more than mindfulness meditation, but anxiety scores fell about equally in both groups. Both are reasonable daily practices; the best one is the one you’ll keep doing.
Keep the top-up inhale gentle: forcing big breaths can make you lightheaded or tingly, and if that happens, stop and breathe normally. There are no breath holds, but if you have a heart or lung condition or are pregnant, check with a clinician first.