Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Do Breathe summary
Michael Townsend Williams
Calm Your Mind. Find Focus. Get Stuff Done.
23 mins
Brief summary
Do Breathe by Michael Townsend Williams is a practical guide to mindfulness and breathing techniques that can help you find focus, calmness, and clarity in your daily life. It emphasizes the importance of taking small, mindful breaths to reduce stress and live a more fulfilling life.
Table of Contents
Do Breathe
Summary of 8 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 8
Managing stress can be as simple as optimizing your breathing.
From missed trains to financial worries, constantly pinging mobile phones to disturbing news headlines, we all have different stressors that can set us off. But our bodies react to stress in the same way, by releasing the hormone cortisol into the bloodstream, which increases heart rate and blood pressure.
Stress is complex, but reducing the physical symptoms of it can be as simple as breathing in and out. When you’re stressed your breathing is rapid and shallow. When you’re relaxed, you breathe well, taking longer, slower breaths.
But your breathing isn’t just a reflection of your mental state – it can actively change that state, too.
Mimicking relaxed breathing tricks the body into thinking you actually are relaxed. What’s more, drawing long slow breaths for 60 seconds is enough to rid the bloodstream of the stress hormone cortisol entirely.
Does that mean you have to learn to breathe well? Not quite. You were born with the ability to breathe like this. You might just need to remember it.
Have you ever seen a baby breathing? She inhales through her nose, and fills her belly with breath. Then she exhales through her nose for longer than the length of her inhale. There's a reason for this. Nose hairs filter the air, making the nose the best breathing organ. And a long exhale stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes rest and digestion.
Now ask yourself, are you breathing like a baby?
Let’s work on that. The first step is to pay attention to your breathing in different contexts. Get to know your breathing. It’s as unique as you are! When you know your breathing, you can learn to recognize the onset of stress and anxiety and calm yourself before your body and mind hit the panic button.
So how can you breathe like a baby again?
Breathe in and out through your nose. Fill your belly and diaphragm with each breath. This will help center you and give you a sense of calm control. Breathe out for longer than you breathe in.
Why don’t you take a few deep breaths before you move on to the next blink? You might find that you’re feeling more focused and less overwhelmed already.
Want to see all full key ideas from Do Breathe?
Key ideas in Do Breathe
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Do Breathe about?
Do/Breathe (2015) is a calming antidote to the stressors of contemporary life, offering a simple guide to cultivating balance, honing focus, and learning to be present. Do/Breathe takes you right back to life’s basics – like breathing, eating, and sleeping – to show how adjusting fundamental practices, habits, and mindsets can produce positive, lasting change in your life.
Do Breathe Review
Do Breathe (2015) is a refreshing guide that invites readers to prioritize mindful moments in their daily lives. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It offers practical strategies for incorporating mindfulness into everyday activities, helping readers find peace and regain focus.
- Combining personal anecdotes, research, and actionable exercises, the book provides a comprehensive approach to cultivating a mindful lifestyle.
- With its down-to-earth tone and relatable content, it keeps readers engaged, making the journey to mindfulness both accessible and enjoyable.
Who should read Do Breathe?
- Busy professionals who never seem to reach the end of their to-do lists
- Dreamers whose fear holds them back from chasing their goals
- Multitaskers who want to juggle their roles and responsibilities without losing equilibrium
Categories with Do Breathe
Book summaries like Do Breathe
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Do Breathe FAQs
What is the main message of Do Breathe?
The main message of Do Breathe is the importance of incorporating mindfulness and self-care into our daily lives.
How long does it take to read Do Breathe?
The reading time for Do Breathe varies depending on the reader's pace, but it typically takes a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Do Breathe a good book? Is it worth reading?
Do Breathe is worth reading as it provides practical tips and guidance on how to attain balance and calm amidst a hectic world.
Who is the author of Do Breathe?
The author of Do Breathe is Michael Townsend Williams.
What to read after Do Breathe?
If you're wondering what to read next after Do Breathe, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
- Influence by Robert B. Cialdini
- The Body by Bill Bryson
- My Morning Routine by Benjamin Spall and Michael Xander
- How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job by Dale Carnegie
- The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
- Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
- Phaedo by Plato
- 7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness by Jim Rohn