Three breathwork techniques that can reset your nervous system in under five minutes

Stop what you're doing. Breathe in for four counts, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. That's one round of box breathing, a technique used by everyone from US Navy SEALs to emergency nurses at University Hospital Geelong, and research suggests even a single minute of it measurably lowers cortisol response. In a week when housing anxiety is climbing and workplace burnout is dominating conversations at water coolers across town, the case for quick, accessible breathwork has never been more practical.

Chronic stress isn't a personality flaw or a productivity problem. It's a physiological state, and the autonomic nervous system doesn't much care whether the trigger is a mortgage rejection or a difficult email. What it does respond to, quickly and reliably, is the breath. Unlike most wellness interventions, controlled breathing costs nothing, requires no equipment, and can be done on a park bench along the Barwon River trail or in a car parked behind the Westfield Geelong car park on Malop Street.

The science is straightforward

A 2023 study published in Cell Reports Medicine tracked 114 participants across three breathwork protocols for one month. Those practising cyclic sighing, a double inhale through the nose followed by a long exhale through the mouth, reported significantly better mood and lower resting respiratory rate than both a mindfulness meditation group and a control group. The results held at the four-week follow-up. That's a meaningful finding for anyone who has tried to maintain a daily meditation practice and found the 20-minute commitment slipping by Tuesday.

Cyclic sighing works because the extended exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the brake pedal on the body's stress response. Physiologically, a longer out-breath slows the heart rate through a mechanism called respiratory sinus arrhythmia. You don't need to understand the mechanism for it to work. Three rounds takes less than 90 seconds.

The third technique worth knowing is physiological sighing's close relative: the 4-7-8 breath, popularised by Arizona-based physician Dr Andrew Weil and now taught in several Barwon Health community health programs running out of the Norlane Community Health Centre on Princes Highway. Inhale for four counts, hold for seven, exhale for eight. The extended hold increases carbon dioxide tolerance slightly, which, counterintuitively, reduces the sensation of anxiety rather than amplifying it. Practitioners often report feeling noticeably calmer after two cycles.

Where Geelong locals are already doing this

The Geelong Waterfront parkrun community, which draws between 200 and 350 participants most Saturday mornings to the Eastern Beach foreshore, has seen a small but growing cohort of runners using box breathing in the two minutes before the 8am start rather than static stretching. Several local personal trainers working out of the Pivot Sports precinct on Ryrie Street have begun incorporating breathwork cooldowns into group sessions, treating it as recovery rather than spirituality.

Eastern Beach itself, particularly the rock pool area near the rotunda, has become an informal morning gathering point for a loose collective of residents who meet three days a week for unguided breathwork sessions. No formal organisation, no fee, no registration, just people who found each other through word of mouth and a shared interest in not feeling wrecked by 9am.

For anyone wanting more structured guidance, Barwon Health's mental health and wellbeing programs, including the StepUp StandOut initiative aimed at adults managing mild-to-moderate anxiety, incorporate regulated breathing as a frontline skill. Referral is available through a GP or directly via Barwon Health's intake line at (03) 4215 8000.

Start small. Pick one technique, box breathing is the easiest entry point, and try it for three consecutive days before judging whether it's useful. Set a reminder on your phone for 2pm, which is statistically when cortisol dips and fatigue peaks. Do it before you check the news, not after. And if you want a scenic backdrop for the practice, the stretch of Barwon River trail between Breakwater Road and the Barwon Valley Golf Club is flat, quiet on weekday afternoons, and about as calming an environment as Geelong offers. Always speak with a Barwon Health GP or qualified health professional before making changes to any mental health management plan.