5-Minute Breathing Exercises Blunt Stress Spikes in 66-Person Speaking Test
Updated
Updated · PsyPost · Aug 14
5-Minute Breathing Exercises Blunt Stress Spikes in 66-Person Speaking Test
3 articles · Updated · PsyPost · Aug 14
Summary
Two 5-minute breathing routines—box breathing and prolonged exhalation—kept heart rate, anxiety and salivary alpha-amylase from rising during a stressful public-speaking task, unlike normal breathing.
The study randomly assigned 66 students to normal breathing or one of the two techniques before a 5-minute mock job-interview speech delivered to neutral video judges.
Both methods prevented the usual physiological stress surge, but neither improved nor worsened immediate performance on mental-math and color-word cognitive tests.
Cortisol fell across all groups, which researchers said may reflect the hormone’s daily decline and a modified stress test that was not continuous enough to trigger a stronger endocrine response.
The findings point to a low-cost, equipment-free tool for firefighters, police and military personnel, though the prerecorded judges, young healthy sample and modest size limit how broadly the results can be applied.