Eight hours at your desk. One meeting closes, the next one opens, Teams pings, emails land, and everything is urgent. No lunch away from the screen, no walk, just a coffee. By the end of the day you've been busy the whole time, and not much has actually moved.
In this episode, consultant neurologist Dr Sui Wong explains why a day like that keeps your stress response pressed like an accelerator while you sit in traffic. You'll hear what the research on breathwork does and doesn't show, how slow breathing reaches your autonomic nervous system, and a 90-second practice you can do at your desk without anyone noticing.
In this episode
0:00 John, and eight hours of busy
1:44 He came about his eyes; it was his nervous system
2:06 The accelerator stuck in traffic
3:49 Deep work versus fragmented attention
4:52 What your body is doing at the desk
5:52 "It's just life, isn't it?"
6:58 What the breathwork research shows, and what it doesn't
9:43 The 90-second practice: where you feel the breath
11:46 A safety note, then breathe along
12:44 Why the pauses matter
13:11 How breathing reaches your autonomic nervous system
14:46 Six breaths a minute and heart rate variability
16:24 One honest limit
16:54 Use the gaps you already have
17:29 Quick-fire Q1: What if my mind won't stop?
18:29 Quick-fire Q2: Is this the same as meditation?
19:17 Quick-fire Q3: Isn't the Wim Hof Method better?
20:35 One small thing: three slow breaths while the screen loads
21:05 If breathwork isn't for you
21:38 Before we close
22:17 Next time: why a holiday doesn't fix it
Key takeaways
The problem isn't hard work. It's constant switching: every ping and every jump between tasks presses the stress accelerator while you go nowhere.
Slow breathing has evidence behind it for lowering felt stress. The effects are small to moderate, not miraculous, and slowing the breath seems to matter more than the exact ratio of in-breath to out-breath.
Try three slow cycles in a gap you already have: in for 4, hold for 2 to 3, out for 6 to 8, hold for 2 to 3. If you're pregnant, or have uncontrolled high blood pressure, a heart or lung condition, or a history of panic attacks, leave out the holds and simply breathe slowly.
Fast, forceful breathing (such as Wim Hof style) activates the stress response, so it's not what you need at 4pm when you're already wired. If breathwork isn't for you, stand and stretch, look at something far away, or drink a glass of water slowly.
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Disclaimers
This podcast is for educational purposes only, not medical advice. If something about your health is worrying you, please see your own doctor.
Patient stories on Brain Health FM are not real individuals. Each is an amalgamation of the typical patterns Dr Sui Wong sees in clinic, shared in a storytelling way to illustrate what matters for your brain health.
References
Monsell S (2003). Task switching. Trends Cogn Sci. DOI: 10.1016/s1364-6613(03)00028-7 · PMID: 12639695
Tsubota K, Nakamori K (1993). Dry eyes and video display terminals. N Engl J Med. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199302253280817 · PMID: 8426634
Lin F, et al. (2006). Effect of different sitting postures on lung capacity, expiratory flow, and lumbar lordosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2005.11.031 · PMID: 16571389
Fincham GW, et al. (2023). Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. Sci Rep. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27247-y · PMID: 36624160
Balban MY, et al. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Rep Med. DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895 · PMID: 36630953
Birdee G, et al. (2023). Slow breathing for reducing stress: The effect of extending exhale. Complement Ther Med. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102937 · PMID: 36871835
Lehrer PM, Gevirtz R (2014). Heart rate variability biofeedback: how and why does it work? Front Psychol. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00756 · PMID: 25101026
Hillebrand S, et al. (2013). Heart rate variability and first cardiovascular event in populations without known cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis and dose-response meta-regression. Europace. DOI: 10.1093/europace/eus341 · PMID: 23370966
Lehrer P, et al. (2020). Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Improves Emotional and Physical Health and Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. DOI: 10.1007/s10484-020-09466-z · PMID: 32385728
Kox M, et al. (2014). Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1322174111 · PMID: 24799686
Brain Health FM with neurologist Dr Sui Wong
Energy, focus and performance: a neurologist's practical guide.
New episodes every Tuesday.
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Dr Sui Wong is a consultant neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist who has spent more than 25 years helping tens of thousands of patients. An active clinician-researcher, she also holds qualifications in mindfulness, yoga, movement and lifestyle medicine. She brings what she sees in clinic and what the research shows to the question of how high achievers can get their energy, focus, and clarity back.
This podcast is for education purposes only, not individual medical advice. For concerns about your own health, please speak with your doctor.
Stories shared in this podcast do not refer to a specific person (unless stated otherwise with the person's permission), but are a representative amalgamation of the patients or patterns seen in Dr Wong's clinic, shared in a storytelling format for educational purposes only.
