There's no doubt that our breathing changes when we're stressed or anxious, but did you know you can retrain your body's response to create more efficient breath?
Brittany, the founder of Joyful Breathing, a myofunctional-based practice in Northglenn with the specialty of Breathing Education can help!
🫁 Why Does Our Breath Change When We're Anxious?
When faced with an anxious thought, task, or environment, our breathing changes without us even noticing. It may become shallow and short. It may be stuck in the chest and not using the diaphragm at all. It may be fast and from the mouth or the breath may be stopped and held for a while.
When our body slips into an anxious style of breathing it affects our Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide balance which has profound impacts. Our body is always balancing oxygen and carbon dioxide because both are necessary for vital functioning. When the breath changes due to anxiety, stress, or any other factor, the chemical balance of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide gets unbalanced and that is where symptoms arise.
🫁 How Does This Affect Our Body?
Symptoms of anxiety and improper breathing styles include:
- Muscle cramping or tightness
- Clenching throughout the jaw
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling “air hungry” - not enough air coming into the body
- Sense of being “frazzled”
- Emotional releases
- Panic and/or anxiety attack events
Once we understand and recognize how our body responds to anxiety and stress, we can retrain the breath and body to respond with a more productive and efficient breath. Stress and anxiety are a part of life unfortunately but we can help build your toolbox so that when faced with stress, you know the better tools to grab when breathing through a situation.
🌬️ How to Retrain the Breath
To help calm the nervous system, open potentially restricted passages, and bring awareness to slowing down and finding calm, Brittany suggested a breathing exercise called “Something Delicious.” Here's how it works:
- Pick a favorite scent to imagine during this exercise. This could be a food, flower, outdoors, whatever you prefer.
- Inhale through the nose as if you are smelling that favorite scent; really bring in the air and imagine that scent being a part of this practice.
- With the exhale, keep lips together and hum out loud as if you are saying “Mmmm that smells delicious!”
💡 Work with Brittany
If you think you or your kiddo would benefit from working with Brittany, you can find her here:
11184 Huron St Unit #9 Northglenn, CO 80234
info@joyfulbreathingcolorado.com
720-383-4945
