TIP: Paced Breathing
TIPPaced breathing(= Gezielte Atmung)
When breathing should be used specifically to shut down the system.
Consciously control breathing in such a way that the nervous system is directed in a calmer and more easily regulated direction.
When does this fit?
When acute tension requires immediate, close-to-the-body and discreet regulation.
Priority in the path
This node sits close to acute crisis and should be read more as an early step than as later deepening.
What this is about
Slowing the breath to approximately five to six cycles per minute — with a longer exhale than inhale (e.g., 4 seconds in, 8 seconds out) — activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces emotional arousal. This effect works through a heart-rate-based mechanism: the heart beats faster during inhalation and slower during exhalation. By deliberately extending the exhale, the autonomic balance shifts toward calm.
Like the dive reflex, paced breathing regulates body chemistry directly, without requiring cognitive resources. The skill has a practical advantage: it is unobtrusive, requires no tools, and can be used in public settings without others noticing.
Continue in practice
From single part to pattern
First return to the skill bundle and from there move to the next steps of the same structure.
TIP Skills
Parent content
When extreme tension needs to be quickly regulated through the body.
Also in: Emotion Regulation
TIP: Paired Muscle Relaxation
When physical tension needs to be systematically released in order to become calmer again.
Also in: Emotion Regulation
Related content
Sources and references
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