Knowing your breathing pattern is essential for holistic well-being and can profoundly affect both your physical and emotional health. Breath is the bridge between the body and the mind. Our breath is a powerful tool that can help us cultivate awareness and presence, influencing how we experience life. When we understand our breathing patterns, we gain insight into our emotional states and stress levels, allowing us to make conscious choices to shift our responses and reclaim our inner balance
Research supports that conscious breathing techniques can enhance emotional regulation, reduce anxiety, and improve overall health outcomes. Studies indicate that practices such as diaphragmatic breathing can decrease stress hormone levels and increase feelings of calm and well-being (Brown & Gerbarg, 2005; Cohen et al., 2013).
Below are some simple tests you can do at home to get to know your breathing pattern.
Once you have an idea of your ‘wrong’ pattern, you can begin to take back conscious management of your breath and life by doing these simple, evidence-based exercises.
To check your breathing patterns at home, you can perform several simple tests that don’t require any specialized equipment. Here are some effective you ca try, the first two being the easiest and most common unhealthy breathing patterns.
Shallow Breathing – Sniff Test
Stand in front of a mirror. Place one hand on your chest, a little below your collar bones, and the other on your lower ribs or upper abdomen. Take a sniff, like you are sniffing a lovely flower. Do this a few times and notice which hand moves more.
Ideally, your lower hand (on the abdomen) should move outward while your upper hand (on the chest) remains relatively still. If the upper hand rises significantly, it may indicate shallow or upper-chest breathing.(1,2)
Overbreathing – Breathing Rate Measurement
Sit comfortably and relax. Count how many times your chest or abdomen rises in one minute. Try not to affect the count, or even have someone count for you.
For adults, a resting rate of 12-20 breaths per minute is considered normal. Higher rates may suggest overbreathing or respiratory distress. (3,4)
Breath Holding
Take a deep breath in, then hold it for as long as comfortable. Note how long you can comfortably hold your breath.
Short breath-holding times may signal an unhealthy breathing pattern or poor carbon dioxide tolerance. (5,6)
Restricted Breathing – Chest Expansion Test
Place a measuring tape around your chest at the level of your lower ribs. Take a deep breath in and note the measurement, then exhale and measure again.
A significant difference in the measurement between inhalation and exhalation indicates good lung function; minimal change may suggest restricted breathing.(7,8)
Peak Flow Meter
If you have access to a peak flow meter, stand up straight, take a deep breath, and blow as hard as you can into the meter.
This is a great was to help track changes in your lung function and assess whether your breathing is normal or if there may be an underlying issue. (9,10)
You can explore these exercises to familiarize yourself with your unique breathing patterns. You might notice that different situations and emotions evoke distinct styles of breathing.
As you begin to understand your own breath, you’ll find the ability to change it, leading to a more regulated nervous system and greater awareness of your emotional responses. I invite you to practice some of these breathing techniques and delve into the profound connection between breath and well-being.
Post Image by Anke Sundermeier from Pixabay
Dive Deeper:
- Möller, S., et al. (2015). “Breathing pattern assessment in patients with breathing disorders: the sniff test.” Journal of Respiratory Medicine, 109(9), 1032-1038.
- Campbell, C. (2019). “Understanding Breathing Pattern Disorders.” Physiotherapy Journal, 32(4), 235-240.
- Loughlin, P.C., et al. (2018). “Respiratory Rate: The Forgotten Vital Sign—Make It Count!” The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 44(4), 265-272.
- Chourpiliadis, C., et al. (2020). “Physiology of Respiratory Rate.” StatPearls Publishing.
- Koike, T., et al. (2020). “Physiological effects of breath-hold training on CO2 tolerance.” International Journal of Sports Medicine, 41(9), 623-629.
- Cohen, A.J., et al. (2019). “Breath-holding and the consequences on cognitive and physiological functioning.” Psychophysiology, 56(1), e13265.
- Sweeney, C., et al. (2017). “Measuring chest expansion in patients with respiratory disease: a systematic review.” Respiratory Medicine, 125, 54-59.
- Goel, N., et al. (2018). “Assessment of chest expansion in pulmonary disorders.” Lung India, 35(1), 6-10.
- Veen, I.M., et al. (2009). “Peak flow monitoring: can it help in the management of asthma?” The Clinical Respiratory Journal, 3(3), 143-150.
- Haughney, J., et al. (2010). “A study of peak flow variability and asthma control.” Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 126(1), 136-142.
