Before you keep reading, let’s take one minute to breathe.

Inhale deeply through your nose for 4 seconds,

Now exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds.

Repeat this cycle six more times

Notice how your shoulders drop a little? How your chest feels lighter? If so, you’ve just experienced what research recently found: even a single minute of mindful breathing can measurably reduce stress and boost mental well-being.

The Science of a Single Minute

Dr. Will Huggon is interested in understanding how small, everyday strategies, such as social support, self-management, and physical activity, correlate with better mental well-being in students. As part of his work, he explored whether a simple one-minute breathing exercise could have a similar effect on mood. “There’s some literature from Judith Andersen’s Health Adaptation Research on Trauma (HART) lab that shows that if you can align your breathing and heart rate, your body is less stressed,” said Dr. Huggon.

From the Lab to Everyday Life

Dr. Huggon originally came across the breathing method while attending a seminar led by researcher Dr. Judith Andersen. “I originally grabbed it from Dr. Andersen’s research,” he said. “I went to a seminar that she did, and it was really neat.”

 Dr. Andersen’s research applied the technique with individuals in high-stress professions, showing how breathing could help regulate the body’s stress response. Dr. Huggon, when asked if it could be adapted to other settings, recognized its potential for another group under constant pressure, such as healthcare professionals or a group he works with closely, university students, who are often under significant stress.  The adaptation of this one-minute intervention makes it accessible to anyone, no equipment, no prior training, just a minute to pause and breathe.

Dr. Huggon’s Findings

The results were clear. After students engaged in a brief breathing exercise, consisting of sixty seconds of slow, rhythmic breathing, their post-intervention responses showed immediate improvement in mood and well-being. “So, it’s a breathing technique that helps reduce stress by bringing you more into the present moment” he added, “What’s striking is that this effect can happen in as little as one minute, which is pretty amazing. Especially if you practice it too. Even the first time you try it, within just a few breaths, you can feel your body start to settle”.

This synchronization of breathing and heart rate enables the body to attain a state that researchers call physiological coherence, a balanced state that allows the mind to calm down. The study’s findings suggest that mindfulness doesn’t need to take a long time; even a minute of intentional breathing can produce meaningful change.

More Than a Momentary Calm

In terms of longevity, when asked how long such benefits will last, Dr. Huggon noted, “Positive psychology interventions produce a brief, noticeable improvement that then fades over time”. However, he stressed that regular practice could create stronger effects: “There is the idea of state versus trait relaxation. This is kind of a state intervention you’re doing it for right now, but if you practice it intentionally, outside of any anxious moments, every day, you’ll strengthen the effect. Over time, the average of repeated practice can create a newer, more relaxed baseline.” In other words, while a one-minute breathing session may immediately relieve your situation, practising it regularly may eventually change your overall response to stress.

One Minute Takeaway

You don’t need a special app or a quiet studio to get started. Here’s how to try the one-minute breathing technique used in the study: sit comfortably, close your eyes if you wish, and then scroll back to the beginning of this article to follow the instructions again. The next time you start to feel stressed, remember that something as simple as taking sixty seconds can be all it takes for your mind to reset. Bookmark this article, come back to it when you need it, and notice how quickly even one minute can make a difference.