06/23/2025

The Relationship between Sighs and Emotions

People sigh more when they are stressed or emotional

Sighs, like smiles and gestures, take on different meanings. On any given day, we are all prone to a noticeable sigh of relief, disbelief or resignation. It's even made it's way into emojis. On another level, chronic pronounced sighing can be a more subtle sign of depression.

According to the Cleveland Clinic (2023), humans produce about 12 "spontaneous sighs" an hour. This seems related to sighs being important to alveoli, the little sacs in our lungs that exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Some collapse while working, and a sigh resets them. At a base level, then, sighing is a life-maintaining reflex.

At first glance, sighs, other than the normal "spontaneous sighs" above, may seem like just an expression. Ramirez (2014), however, explained, "The sigh plays a role in monitoring brain state changes, controlling arousal, and homeostatically regulating breathing variability. These functions are critical for day-to-day activities."

Please select this link to read the complete article from Psychology Today.