Breathing mechanics and feelings of anxiety
Anxiety is multi-faceted and this is by no means a "miracle / quick fix” article but rather an exploration into a non-invasive school of thought that can reduce feelings of anxiety.
If you are experiencing anxiety, the following advice is not a replacement for help from a mental health professional but rather an adjunct that can support other approaches.
Summary:
This article will discuss-
How we can work with the breath
The relationship between the breath and feelings of anxiety
The question of whether there is a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way for you to breath
Actionable ideas to improve your relaxed day-to-day breathing
Working with our breath
Breathing is an involuntary function as we need oxygen to survive, but we can consciously change how we breathe. By bringing awareness to our breath we can alter the duration, frequency, depth, location, rhythm and flow- which all have different effects upon the body and mind.
When we close our lips and breathe through the nose we slow down the air flow and this can have a relaxing effect. In contrast we can increase the air flow by mouth breathing. This can increase our arousal, making us feel energised and ready to go. These examples are simplistic but they highlight the application of two contrasting breathing types, both of which can be usefully adopted in different circumstances.
The breath and feeling anxious
Feelings of anxiety can be experienced when one’s breath is shallow, rapid and through the mouth. Our diaphragm is our primary breathing muscle and ideally we want it to fully stretch and contract with our breath. Increasing the diaphragm activity can have a calming effect upon us.
A little bit of science: The stimulation of the vagus nerve is closely linked to the action of the diaphragm and we know that the activation of the vagus nerve (vagal tone) has a large role in dictating whether our bodies are in a parasympathetic state (rest and digest) or a sympathetic state (fight or flight). Hence when we move the diaphragm through its full range we can have a calming effect upon the body.
“So if I take short, shallow breaths I’m breathing wrong?”
It’s not that you’re breathing “wrong”, the breath is still delivering oxygen to the body but perhaps the application is misguided in the circumstances. Just like a hammer and a screw driver- we would use a hammer to nail something into the wall, we can use short sharp breaths to ‘switch on’. But when the task is day to day breathing while at rest, we are using the wrong tool for the job. The screw driver isn’t inherently bad or wrong, it just isn’t best suited to the situation at hand. You could make it work with the screw driver but it would be inefficient and a lot more effort. So ideally for day to day breathing we would use deep expanding breaths that move the diaphragm through its full range, rather than taking shallow gasps.
Actionable ideas to improve your relaxed day-to-day breathing
-Build awareness around your breathing habits so that you can select the best type of breath for the given situation. Some questions to consider:
What happens to your breath when you’re driving?
Could you encourage a deeper breathing pattern?
Does your posture feel like it’s supporting or hindering a fluid breath?
Are there any adjustments you could make to your neck, shoulder or upper back to make your breathing feel easier?
Is your breathing noisy? (this generally reflects some kind of dysfunctionally restricted air flow)
Could you comfortably make your breathing more quiet?
-Choose a moment to increase your diaphragm activation.
Perhaps when you’re in the shower or waiting for the kettle to boil. Take this time to close your eyes and rest your hands on your lower ribs (find your belly button then move your hands out to the sides and slightly upwards. You should feel the bony rib cage. Relax your shoulders.)
Hands rest on the lower ribs.
Close your eyes and seal your lips.
Count 20 breaths and simply notice your hands rise and fall.
-Visit a practitioner who can assess and provide an action plan to optimise your breathing. Everyone is unique and despite having similar challenges, your solutions may need to be individualized. Some people would love to attend a 90minute slow flow yoga class and others want nothing to do with it. So I encourage you to work with a professional who is willing to listen, has a variety of tools at hand and can meet you at your level.
If you’d like to book an Osteopathy appointment to address your breathing mechanics please visit www.headsuposteopathy.com . Fauntine will be more than happy to help you navigate this area.