RSA Breathing (Respiratory sinus arrhythmia)

Since RSA breathing tends to stimulate the vagus nerve, which pushes you into parasympathetic mode–and is the pair of the cranial nerves that connects the brain to the abdomen via the heart, esophagus and lungs, it prepares the body to participate more effectively in these parasympathetic maintenance functions. It also reduces autonomic stress, so doing it multiple times during the day creates points in the stress graph which produce drops, breaking up the steady climb, so stress levels at day’s end are significantly lower.

It’s always a good idea to do something like RSA breathing: exhale slowly for 7 seconds–counting the seconds in your mind–to empty your lungs, then let the breath come in by itself and count 3 seconds. Not deep breathing. Not abdominal breathing. Just slow. That is often helpful in reducing blood pressure.

RSA Breathing: do 2-3 minutes of counted breath at least 4-5 times per day. I suggest using parasympathetic triggers (rest and digest). So when you go to the bathroom, breath slowly, focusing on the emptying out-breath. Before you sit down to eat a meal, do 2-3 minutes of breathing, before lying down to nap or sleep, do it. Anytime you are driving, especially in traffic, do it.

Breathe out for 6 seconds fully and quietly until your lungs are empty. Let the breath come back into your lungs (should take about 3 seconds). Repeat, making sure that you are pushing the air out from your belly up to the top of your lungs. No-one should know what you are doing.
This will shift your autonomic nervous system away from fight-or-flight toward parasympathetic maintenance mode.