The Importance Of Nasal Breathing
Breathing is essential for life, but how you breathe can have a profound impact on both your physical and mental health. Did you know that there is a right way and a wrong way to breathe? By learning to breathe properly through the nose, you can help manage anxiety and reduce stress.
Our bodies are naturally designed to breathe through the nose. This process helps filter, warm, and humidify the air we take in, ensuring optimal oxygen delivery to the body. But nasal breathing does much more than that, it:
- Regulates the Nervous System: Nasal breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, often referred to as the “rest and digest” system. This helps the body relax and recover, reducing the physiological effects of stress and anxiety. Mouth breathing, especially when shallow or rapid, can trigger the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the “fight or flight” response, often worsening anxiety symptoms.
- Slows Down Breathing: Breathing through the nose naturally slows down the breath. This slower breathing pattern allows you to take deeper, more controlled breaths, which can help prevent the rapid, shallow breathing that often accompanies panic attacks or heightened anxiety.
- Improves Oxygenation and Reduces Overbreathing: Nasal breathing encourages diaphragmatic (or “belly”) breathing, which allows the lungs to fully inflate, delivering more oxygen to the body. This is particularly important during moments of anxiety when over-breathing or hyperventilation can lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, or feelings of suffocation. Nasal breathing helps counteract these sensations by encouraging a more efficient exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
- Promotes Calmness and Focus: Nasal breathing helps to regulate the levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, which is essential for maintaining a sense of calm. By keeping your breaths steady and controlled, you can avoid the feelings of panic that often accompany hyperventilation or erratic breathing patterns.
Break The Cycle
For many people who find themselves regularly anxious, mouth breathing can feel like the only option during a stressful moment. Anxiety triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, leading to faster, shallow breathing as the body prepares for perceived danger. In these moments, it’s common to resort to mouth breathing, which, unfortunately, can worsen anxiety symptoms.
When you breathe through your mouth, you may be inhaling and exhaling too quickly, which can lead to hyperventilation. This causes an imbalance in the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood, creating sensations like shortness of breath, lightheadedness, tingling in the fingers, and even a feeling of impending doom. These symptoms can reinforce the anxiety and create a cycle of panic.
Learning to break this cycle with nasal breathing can help your body reset, even in the midst of a stressful situation. Although it might feel challenging at first, practising controlled breathing through your nose is indispensable.
Our Top Tips
Changing how you breathe can be quite a challenge, especially if you’ve been relying on mouth breathing for a long time. The key is to make the transition gradual and gentle, without adding extra stress. Here are our strategies to help:
- Start Slowly and Gently: Begin by practising nasal breathing in low-stress situations. Find a quiet moment when you’re feeling relatively calm and focus on breathing slowly and deeply through your nose. This could be when you’re lying down, watching TV, or reading a book. Gradually extend this practice to other moments of your day.
- Practice Mindfulness: Incorporating nasal breathing into mindfulness exercises, such as meditation, yoga, or guided relaxation, can help build the habit. For example, during a simple mindfulness meditation, close your mouth, place one hand on your belly, and focus on inhaling and exhaling through your nose. Feel the rise and fall of your abdomen with each breath. Read More …
- Square Breathing: This is a useful technique for anxiety that can help reinforce nasal breathing. Try inhaling for four seconds through your nose, holding your breath for four seconds, exhaling through your nose for four seconds, and holding for four seconds. This method promotes deep, steady breaths and can help reduce anxiety in stressful moments. Read more…
- Work with Anxiety-Friendly Tools: If nasal breathing feels too difficult during anxious moments, start by focusing on your exhale. Try exhaling slowly and gently through your nose even if you initially need to inhale through your mouth. Gradually work on shifting to inhaling through your nose once you feel more comfortable.
- Be Patient with Yourself: The transition of changing the way you breathe can take time and Practice. You might find it challenging at first, and that’s okay. If nasal breathing feels uncomfortable during anxious moments, don’t force it—return to it when you feel ready. The key is to practice regularly when you’re calm, so your body gradually adapts.
Crisis 2 Calm
This recording will take you from crisis to calm in just a few minutes.
Whether it is a panic attack, anxiety or general feelings of uneasiness you are experiencing, let us help return your focus to the present moment and smooth any unpleasant emotions you may be battling with.
