Most of us don't give much thought to breathing until we can't, but something is happening as we breathe (besides getting air) that is crucial to our health and wellness. We are balancing our oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. If we aren't breathing correctly, it causes an upset in the balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide and symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, and panic attacks. In other words, stress.
Additionally, whenever we breathe in, we receive oxygen (and our red blood cells are filled with it). Whenever we breathe out, we release carbon dioxide, a waste product.
There are two ways to breathe. We can breathe through our chest (thoracic) or abdomen (diaphragmatic). The first is when we breathe up and down. The chest raises and lowers. Typically, this is shallow breathing. It tends to happen as a reaction to stress or fear. The second is when we breathe in and out. This type of breathing expands the stomach. The breath is more deep-seated. This type of breathing promotes relaxation. It's also how most of us breathe when we are sound asleep.
To tell whether you are a chest or stomach breather, place one hand in the middle of your chest and the other over your stomach right above your belly button. Whichever hand moves the most as you breathe in and out reveals the answer. One way to reduce stress is to become a "tummy" (diaphragmatic) breather.
According to Robert Redfern, we can't correctly breathe when sitting down. We can only do so while standing or lying down, so we must take regular breaks from sitting for long periods at work or at home in front of the computer. I suspect this theory derives from our prehistoric genetics and the activity levels of our ancestors. In the beginning, humans didn't have chairs. We sat on stumps, rocks, and flat ground, which took some effort to keep balance. We swam, walked, ran, and jumped. All of these activities involved sitting for a short time. Sitting is modern-day inactivity. When we slept, we stretched out instead of falling asleep, all curled up in the corner of a mushy sofa.
Try to focus on getting into taking deep breaths through the abdomen often. If you yawn a lot throughout the day, your oxygen and carbon dioxide balance is off. Yawning is not just a sign of being tired. It's a sign of needing more oxygen. Have you ever wondered why others follow suit if one person yawns? Genetically speaking, the body knows it needs more oxygen to prepare the body for the "fight or flight" response to a threat. When we are awake, we are on alert. When we fatigue, we tend to breathe more shallowly and are less alert. The body yawns as a means to acquire more oxygen to stay awake. So why is yawning catchy? Seeing someone yawn is an instinctual signal to guard against a potential threat. Anyone short on oxygen will follow suit to stay alert and, therefore, safe.
If you are a Highly Sensitive Person or struggle with panic attacks, breathing exercises may make you uncomfortable and a bit anxious at first. If you aren't used to deep breathing or breathing with your "belly," try breathing not so fully or holding your breath for more than a second or two. You don't have to fill your lungs to the tip top with air in the beginning. Start easy and build up. The important thing is to breathe with your diaphragm and not your chest. Stick with it, and your panicky feelings will go away with practice.
Deep breathing helps calm the brain and keep it healthy, so breathing exercises and exercises that involve regulated breathing (yoga, tai chi, qi gong) are great for easing stress and stress-related symptoms.
Just like exercise programs, breathing exercises are very personal. I found this excellent article at Healthline.com, which offers ten breathing exercises. You should be able to find one or two that suit you.
Deep Breathing FYI
Shallow breathing keeps your Central Nervous System (CNS) from functioning correctly. Your CNS is all central nerve pathways stemming from your brain and spine. When these nerves don't get enough oxygen, they cause symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, bowel problems, and pain.
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