It’s called the physiological sigh—and it’s incredibly simple:

Inhale through your nose
Take a second, shorter inhale
Then slowly exhale through your mouth

Repeat a few times and notice what shifts.

This pattern helps slow the heart rate and calm the nervous system almost immediately.

In fact, research out of Stanford found that just a few minutes of this type of breathing led to some of the fastest reductions in stress and improvements in mood.

It’s something you can use anytime—before a meeting, a tough conversation, or any moment that brings up nerves.