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Stress and your body: breathe, move, unwind
Stress isn't only a feeling. It changes how you digest, sleep and recover, which is why it comes up in so many consultations. This guide explains how Chinese medicine and modern research each understand stress, and the everyday habits that help your body shift out of it.
It expands on the printed handout I give patients in clinic.
What stress does to the body
The Chinese medicine view
The Liver is responsible for keeping Qi flowing smoothly through the body. Ongoing stress, frustration and overwork are said to make Liver Qi stagnate. This is often felt as tension in the neck and shoulders, bloating, irritability or broken sleep.
The Neijing also links overthinking with injury to the Spleen. Excessive worry is understood to impair the Spleen's digestive function, and stagnant Liver Qi is described as overacting on the Spleen and Stomach. Together, these explain why appetite and digestion so often change when life gets busy.
What the research says
Under stress, the body releases cortisol and adrenaline and shifts into "fight or flight". Heart rate and alertness rise, and blood flow is directed towards the muscles.
Digestion, tissue repair and deep sleep are governed by the opposite "rest and digest" state, so they are deprioritised during stress. This response is protective in the short term, but prolonged activation limits the body's capacity to recover.
The gut and brain are also in constant two-way communication. Stress can change how the gut moves, how sensitive it is and the balance of bacteria within it.
How Chinese medicine sees emotions and Qi
The Neijing lists nine ways that emotions, weather and effort disturb Qi. Healthy Qi flows smoothly, and each of these pulls it off course in its own way.
Much of what we now call stress sits in those last two. The Neijing describes overthinking as the mind holding on to something until Qi stops moving and knots, a close match for what we would now call rumination.
Breathe
Breathing is one part of the stress response you can consciously influence. Slow breathing with a long exhale encourages the nervous system to shift towards rest. A systematic review found it increases heart rate variability, a marker of "rest and digest" activity.
In a 2023 randomised trial, people who practised cyclic sighing for 5 minutes a day over a month reported better mood and had a lower resting breathing rate. It improved mood more than mindfulness meditation did over the same period.
Try
- Cyclic sighing, 5 minutes a day. Breathe in through your nose, take a short second breath in to top up, then breathe out slowly through your mouth.
- Linking it to something you already do, like waiting for the kettle or sitting in the car before you drive.
- 4-7-8 breathing before sleep, for 4 rounds. If the hold feels uncomfortable, shorten the counts and keep the out-breath longest.
Move
In Chinese medicine, movement keeps Qi from stagnating, which makes it one of the most direct ways to keep Liver Qi flowing. A large 2023 review, drawing on more than 1,000 trials, found that physical activity meaningfully reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress.
Time in nature adds something extra. In a University of Michigan study, a nature break of 20 to 30 minutes gave the most efficient drop in cortisol, the body's main stress hormone.
Gentle mind-body practices like tai chi and qigong pair movement with slow breathing. A systematic review linked tai chi with lower stress, anxiety and depression.
Try
- Moving most days, building towards 2.5 to 5 hours a week of moderate activity. Brisk walking is a good place to start.
- Time among trees, grass or water, ideally 20 to 30 minutes at a time.
- Tai chi, qigong or yoga on days when your energy is low.
Unwind
The Neijing's warning that overwork drains Qi and overthinking knots it fits a modern working week well. Setting clear points in the day to pause allows both mind and body to settle.
Research backs small pauses. A 2022 review found that breaks of 10 minutes or less boosted energy and reduced fatigue during work.
Connection matters too. A review of 148 studies found that people with stronger social relationships had a 50% greater likelihood of survival over the study periods. And if your mind races at bedtime, one study found that spending 5 minutes writing tomorrow's to-do list helped people fall asleep faster.
Try
- Short breaks away from your screen every hour or two, even just a few minutes.
- Time with people you feel at ease with, in person where you can.
- Writing tomorrow's to-do list before bed, so it isn't occupying your thoughts as you fall asleep.
When to seek more support
Everyday habits help, but they aren't always enough on their own. If stress, anxiety or low mood is affecting your sleep, work or relationships for more than a couple of weeks, please talk to your GP. They can discuss options with you, including a Mental Health Treatment Plan.
Need to talk to someone now? Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14.
Start small
Pick one thing to try and practise it daily for two weeks before adding another. If you'd like help working out where to start, you're welcome to book a consultation at my Castle Hill clinic.
References
- Albulescu, P., Macsinga, I., Rusu, A., et al. (2022). "Give me a break!" A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance. PLOS ONE, 17(8), e0272460.
- Balban, M. Y., Neri, E., Kogon, M. M., et al. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine, 4(1), 100895.
- Department of Health and Aged Care. (2021). Physical activity and exercise guidelines for adults (18 to 64 years). Australian Government.
- Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLOS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316.
- Hunter, M. R., Gillespie, B. W., & Chen, S. Y.-P. (2019). Urban nature experiences reduce stress in the context of daily life based on salivary biomarkers. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 722.
- Konturek, P. C., Brzozowski, T., & Konturek, S. J. (2011). Stress and the gut: Pathophysiology, clinical consequences, diagnostic approach and treatment options. Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 62(6), 591-599.
- Maciocia, G. (2015). The foundations of Chinese medicine (3rd ed.). Elsevier.
- McEwen, B. S. (1998). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. New England Journal of Medicine, 338(3), 171-179.
- Scullin, M. K., Krueger, M. L., Ballard, H. K., Pruett, N., & Bliwise, D. L. (2018). The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(1), 139-146.
- Singh, B., Olds, T., Curtis, R., et al. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: An overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(18), 1203-1209.
- Unschuld, P. U., & Tessenow, H. (2011). Huang Di nei jing su wen: An annotated translation of Huang Di's Inner Classic, Basic Questions. University of California Press.
- Vierra, J., Boonla, O., & Prasertsri, P. (2022). Effects of sleep deprivation and 4-7-8 breathing control on heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood glucose, and endothelial function in healthy young adults. Physiological Reports, 10(13), e15389.
- Wang, C., Bannuru, R., Ramel, J., et al. (2010). Tai chi on psychological well-being: Systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 10, 23.
- Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., et al. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353.