Take a deep breath. Do you feel better? It’s one of the first things we’re told to do when facing nearly any charged situation.

An average adult takes about 16 breaths a minute, or 23,000 a day, but how does this affect our state of mind? According to research, cultivating control over our lungs can bring many benefits to our mental and physical health. In fact, breathing at exactly six breaths per minute can be especially beneficial to the mind as it triggers a relaxation response in the body.

Studies in healthy humans breathing at six breaths per minute can create what’s called cardiorespiratory coupling, in which the heart rate, blood pressure and respiration work together symbiotically.

Total Brain’s Resonant Breathing exercise is built on this science to give users a simple way to suppress their fight-flight response and lower stress levels in minutes. The exercise uses visual and audio guides to help users achieve this optimal state of breathing, creating a happier and healthier mind and body.

How it works

Total Brain’s new Resonant Breathing exercise begins with easy to read settings in which users can choose what they want to see and hear during their breathing exercise, including nature sounds like calm forest birds or waves crashing on the ocean. Users can set volume control and choose background noises and breathing cues. Resonant Breathing works in conjunction with Total Brain’s NeuroTunes, a collection of neuro-optimized music and soundscapes that are designed to reduce anxiety in the moment and instill calmness in listeners.

Once users have chosen their sound and visual settings, they will then be asked how long they would like to practice Resonant Breathing with varying time lengths from as little as two minutes to more than fifteen minutes. From a quick session to cool your thoughts to a lengthier 20 minutes of meditation, Total Brian’s Resonant Breathing can help users relax and reduce stress levels in minutes.

The User Experience

Through audio and visual prompts, Resonant Breathing is designed to be an immersive experience: as users participate in the breathing exercise, they are instructed to relax their head and shoulders, inhale and exhale, and focus on each breath being taken – all with the goal of matching their desired rate of breaths per minute.

Total Brain’s Resonant Breathing can be used anytime and anywhere to help users achieve a more relaxed state of being. Studies have shown slow-breathing exercises go above and beyond the benefits of mindfulness. Scientific literature finds it can help alleviate symptoms of depression and even insomnia.

Resonant Breathing in the Workplace

In today’s world there are triggers that can cause stress and anxiety to spike in otherwise healthy people. Using Total Brain’s Resonant Breathing, employees can better manage these triggers, which will improve their ability to focus and increase their productivity levels during uncertain times.

According to the American Institute of Stress, U.S. companies lose up to $300 billion annually because of stress related issues relating to reduced focus and lower productivity. With a hyper-stressful year like 2020 this number may be even higher, which is why it’s important for companies to give their employees a simple, effective tool to reduce stress – in the moment.

Total Brain has identified a checklist of 10 of the most common stress and anxiety triggers many employees are currently experiencing – download it here. With Total Brain’s Resonant Breathing exercises employees can learn to better manage each of these triggers, leading to a healthier mindset and increased productivity at work.

The world can weigh heavily upon us. Resonant Breathing is another tool in Total Brain that can be used to help users create a healthier and more mindful version of themselves.

If you’re an HR or benefits professional charged with improving employee mental health, schedule a meeting to discuss how Total Brain can help. If you are a mental health professional and want to use Total Brain to monitor your patients’ mental health and complement traditional treatment with digital self-care tools, book a personalized demo.