You may have begun to question your own breathing, possibly because it may appeared to have changed. You may feel short of breath, or you may have an overwhelming need for more air, that you are not getting enough oxygen etc. These are faulty breathing problems. There can be panic when one feels they are not getting enough oxygen, this results in over breathing or more correctly termed hyperventilating. The normal breathing rate at rest for the average person is between 8 and 12 breaths per minute (one inhale and exhale = one cycle). When relaxed, meditating, sleeping, or very fit the figure can be lower.
How to count your own breathing? Simple! Count each inhales, and exhales as one complete cycle. The counting is easy to do, what is not necessarily is being accurate. When a person counts their own breathing rate the chances are it will vary. This is quite NORMAL when we become conscious of something we may feel that it is DIFFERENT. A prime example; think of your washing machine, back to the last time you were in a rush and were waiting for your washing machine door to open, the chances are you felt that it was taking longer than normal to open. Yet, when your attention is elsewhere, not focusing on the washing machine door, those same 3 minutes 'felt' shorter.
The reason for counting your breathing rate and recording it on a log, is to help yourself see any changes and it provides information for the consultant/trainer. It can show how stressed and relaxed you are, how effective a specific technique may be. There is a right way to breathe using the full capacity of the lungs ensuring positive gaseous exchange. When relaxed our breathing style does change, using the diaphragm and the whole lung. There is a 'right way' for breathing BUT this does not mean if yours is different it is cause for panic. Breathing can cause some health problems such as dizziness, and light-headedness. It is more beneficial for you to see any problems with your breathing as a faulty breathing pattern, rather than something wrong.
SIGNS THAT STRESS MAY BE AFFECTING YOUR BREATHING?
1.Sucking air in and holding onto it for long periods.
2.Sighing often
3.Holding onto air and frequent sighing can cause shallow breathing.
4.Shallow breathing is breathing using the upper chest only.
5.Chest tightness
6.May feel as though you cannot take a deep breath
What does this actually do?
The amount of stress one has can be seen in the way they breathe. When stressed breathing becomes shallow often with an inability to take a deep breath because of possible chest tightness. This causes more stress; in effect, a stress cycle begins. When one is shallow breathing the oxygen levels are limited which means the oxygen levels in the blood become lower, causing the body to work less efficiently. It can cause dizziness, light headedness etc. On following pages, this is expanded on with a few diagrams.
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DO YOU BREATHE CORRECTLY?
There is a very simple way of checking this. Read the instructions first so you fully understand them, be as relaxed as possible and do not worry, this 'test' is really helping you to identify if you could use a few extra stress management coping techniques, it is not suggesting that anything is wrong.
- Lie on your back, making sure you are comfortable by using a pillow to support your head and neck
- Put one hand on your stomach - navel area
- Place the other hand on your chest - breast area
- As you breathe watch to see which hand moves, and write this down. Keep observing for a few minuets so you can get a good idea and feel of your style. It is always preferable if you can do this when you will not be disturbed.
- Which hand moved?
- Chest OR Stomach?
Please stop reading here, until you know which hand moved the most. Once that is done, please continue.
To breathe correctly your hand on your stomach should have been the one to move. If it did not, your breathing pattern is faulty, (or was at that time). When your hand on your stomach moves first, this is showing that you are using your diaphragm more commonalty termed 'abdominal breathing'. DO NOT worry there are many ways of breathing.
Quite often people have learnt a faulty breathing style from childhood, usually because of stress and tension. Often this means upper chest movement, this can be changed. When muscular tension hinders the diaphragm, it inhibits deep abdominal breaths. However, the tightness in the chest caused by tension and shallow breathing will eventually bring about a number of deep breaths to help return the body to a more normal oxygen and carbon dioxide level. HOWEVER, this relief actually is part of a cycle, the initial relief caused by sighing ensures the start of another cycle. A habit can be changed. Within Stress Management Training, there are different breathing techniques taught to enable one to find one that helps the most.
A small number of side effects due to NOT breathing correctly.
- Firstly it causes the body to release / eliminate too much carbon dioxide
- Because of this, it alters the blood acidity - it becomes alkaline
- Causing the blood vessels in the brain to restrict and become narrow
- This slows the circulation of oxygen to the brain
- Which can lead to or can cause palpitations, dizziness, chest pain, and faintness.
- Which can lead to panic attacks
- Finally this causes us to restrict our breathing to the upper chest which causes hyperventilation.
This is a cycle of poor breathing, it is also a great way to continue having panic attacks and hyperventilate. It is in essence a cycle, but one that with practice can be broken and stopped. It takes practice and understanding. On following pages, you will find different information relating to breathing, the specific techniques, and the physiology of breathing and why it is important to check how one is breathing on a regular basis. BUT more importantly to keep an eye on the stresses in ones life and try to do something positive.
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