Learning proximal cyclic sighing buffers anxiety across learning moments and boredom across days
Peng Wang, Lesya Ganushchak, Camille Welie, Roel van Steensel
npj Science of Learning July 23, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-026-00446-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized ecological momentary trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 84 |
| Population | University foreign-language learners |
| Intervention | Cyclic sighing |
| Dose | three daily 5-minute sessions |
| Duration | 20-day protocol comprising 5 baseline, 10 intervention, and 5 post-intervention days |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Key findings | Cyclic sighing was linked to selectively lower anxiety at learning-proximal assessments during the intervention, an acute relief window not evident at end-of-day, while anxiety increased across days in controls but remained near baseline with breathwork. Boredom showed weaker buffering and enjoyment no clear change; exploratory network analyses suggested weaker heart-rate coupling to anxiety and enjoyment. |
Abstract
Emotions during language learning fluctuate rapidly, but intervention studies often miss when change occurs. In a two-arm randomized ecological momentary trial, 84 university foreign-language learners completed a 20-day protocol comprising 5 baseline, 10 intervention, and 5 post-intervention days, with five assessments per day (6,281 observations). Forty-seven participants completed three daily 5-minute cyclic sighing sessions at fixed learning-proximal times (11:00, 13:00, and 15:00); 37 controls continued learning as usual. Dense within-person modelling revealed a dual-timescale pattern: anxiety was selectively lower at learning-proximal assessments during the intervention, indicating an acute relief window that was not evident at the end-of-day assessment, while across days anxiety increased in controls but remained near baseline with breathwork. Boredom showed weaker buffering and enjoyment no clear change. Exploratory network analyses suggested weaker heart-rate coupling to anxiety and enjoyment. Brief scheduled cyclic sighing may provide feasible just-in-time regulation during language learning.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.