Jennifer Bianchini, MS, RDN: Mindfulness Techniques to Transform Your Stress Response

Mindfulness practices like yoga, mindful eating and focused breathing activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce stress and improve decision-making, allowing the body to respond better to both internal and external stressors.

In an interview with The Educated Patient, Jennifer Nicole Bianchini, MS, RDN, RYT, IFNCP, registered dietitian, functional nutritionist specialist and the founder of Body to Soul Health, discusses the powerful impact these small habit changes can make on your overall wellbeing.

Mindfulness helps the body manage stress and maintain balance. After a workout, such as jogging, engaging in a mindful practice like yoga can combine breath and movement, strengthening the connection between body and mind. This process, Bianchini explains, stimulates the vagus nerve, calming the nervous system and increasing awareness.

This heightened awareness improves decision-making, including mindful eating. By fully engaging the senses—seeing, smelling and savoring food—you activate the "rest and digest" system, enhancing digestion and nutrient absorption. Chewing slowly and paying attention to the texture and flavors of the food allows your body to fully utilize it for metabolic energy.

Mindfulness practices like focused breathing are another simple yet effective way to regulate stress responses.

“Mindfulness helps to activate our parasympathetic nervous system and allows our body to respond to stress better,” she says.

Small habit changes, like taking five deep breaths upon waking or practicing box breathing after brushing your teeth, can have a cumulative effect, promoting mental clarity and wellbeing.

Bianchini, a certified yoga instructor, also encourages starting a yoga practice—whether in a studio or through accessible online platforms—as another way to cultivate mindfulness. It encourages body awareness, promotes relaxation and helps reduce stress. These practices enable you to respond to external stressors more effectively by controlling internal reactions.

“There's a lot of external stress in our world, and sometimes we can't actually control that part,” she says. “What we can control is what's happening internally—that's where mindfulness plays a huge role.”