Most of us don’t think much about how we breathe—until something goes wrong. Yet the way we breathe profoundly affects our physical and emotional wellbeing. Poor breathing habits, like shallow chest breathing or habitual breath-holding, can sneak in during times of stress and become the default without us even noticing.
The Problem with “Bad Breathing”
When breathing becomes inefficient or dysfunctional, it can contribute to a range of issues: anxiety, fatigue, poor sleep, and even musculoskeletal pain. Over-breathing (also known as chronic hyperventilation) is more common than people realise. It reduces carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which can disrupt oxygen delivery to tissues and affect the nervous system (Courtney, 2009).
Bad habits like mouth breathing, breath-holding, or shallow chest breathing can form early in life or emerge under stress. Over time, they can lead to reduced breath awareness and reactivity in the autonomic nervous system—keeping us in a state of ongoing fight-or-flight activation.
The Power of Breath Awareness
Breath awareness—simply paying attention to the natural rhythm of your breathing—can begin to unwind these patterns. Mindfulness of breath is a foundational practice in many contemplative traditions, but it’s also backed by science.
Regular breath-focused practices have been shown to reduce anxiety (Zaccaro et al., 2018), lower blood pressure, and support autonomic regulation. Just bringing awareness to the breath, especially with a longer out-breath, can activate the parasympathetic nervous system and create a sense of calm.
A Simple Breathing Test: The Control Pause
One simple test to assess your breathing function is called the Control Pause, based on the Buteyko method (Courtney, 2009):
- Sit comfortably and breathe naturally for a minute.
- After a gentle out-breath, hold your breath and start counting the seconds.
- Stop counting as soon as you feel the first definite urge to breathe (not when you can’t hold it anymore).
- Resume normal breathing.
Interpretation:
- Less than 10 seconds: Dysfunctional breathing likely
- 10–20 seconds: Breathing may be suboptimal
- 20–30 seconds: Functional breathing
- Over 30 seconds: Healthy breathing pattern
This isn’t a diagnostic tool, but it can offer insight into how your breath is functioning under normal conditions.
Ready to Begin?
The good news is that healthy breathing habits can be re-learned. With awareness, intention, and a few simple techniques, you can support your physical and mental wellbeing—starting with your next breath.
If you’re curious to explore this further, you can take our free, short online course:
Breath Awareness for Calm and Clarity
Available now on the Mindful Health Academy website.
References:
- Courtney, R. (2009). The functions of breathing and its dysfunctions and their relationship to breathing therapy. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 12(3), 78–85.
- Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353.
