A rapid self-care intervention from Stanford University’s Dr Andrew Huberman that’s easy and effective
NLP has always been interested in what works – so I’m expecting this quick, research-based stress management technique to start appearing in a lot of NLP Practitioner courses soon.
Dr Andrew Huberman is professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He has a particular interest in stress control interventions that – unlike meditation, social connections, or elaborate breathwork techniques – don’t require you to step away from the stressful activity, and can therefore be used in the moment.
(I also note that unlike some NLP interventions like anchoring, useful though they are, the ‘physiological sigh’ doesn’t have to be set up in advance.)
I’ve tried the physiological sigh technique, and it works. Who better to explain the technique than the man himself?
In this very short video, Dr Huberman explains how to do it, and why it works. Please pay attention to the bit in the video where he says it should work after one go, and that you should need no more than two or at most three ‘sighs’ – it’s a short-term, laser-focused intervention, and it’s not supposed to be a sustained breathing pattern.
For more quick and easy stress management interventions, try this article: 5 Ways To Relax Instantly Anywhere
And if you’re looking for more ways to become your best self, check out the self-hypnosis audios in my online store (one of them’s a free download)!

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