This year we’ve been thinking a lot about breath — how we breathe, changes in breath, and barriers to breathing.

Our breath, like our heartbeat, is an involuntary, unconscious function that happens even while we sleep. However, unlike our heartbeat we can change our breath at will. Research into the physiological and emotional effects of different breath patterns is on-going, but our current body of knowledge suggests that our breath can be a powerful tool for changing the way we feel physically and emotionally.

On the Nose

While it is possible to breathe from either the nose or the mouth, the nose is the primary breathing pathway. The mouth chips in to help breathe when there are additional stresses on the body like when we’re exercising, under threat, or experiencing congestion.

There are a few reasons to favor nasal breathing over mouth breathing. Physiologically, nasal breathing cleans the air as it enters the body through the mucus and immunoglobulins it secretes, and the coarse hairs in the nasal passages. In this way the nose acts as part of the immune system, protecting the lungs from allergens, toxicants and other bacteria. The nose also efficiently warms and humidifies the air on its way to the lungs. On a more basic level, nasal passages are obviously smaller than the mouth, leading to a slower inhale and exhale.

The Benefits of Slowing Down

Slow, nasal breathing is connected to the part of the nervous system responsible for the ability to chill out!

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our fight or slight response. Whenever we are in a state of stress or anxiety the sympathetic nervous system activates, elevating our heartrate, speeding up our breathing and filling us with adrenaline. This is helpful if we need to run away from a tiger, but not so much for that big exam coming up. When the sympathetic nervous system is engaged, our body performs a variety of functions to get us ready to engage in a physically demanding activity, including utilizing our supplementary breathing through our mouth. This is not the most efficient breathing pattern, and is not meant to be sustained over a long period of time. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for our rest and digest mode. When we’re feeling relaxed and at ease the parasympathetic system is engaged, promoting digestion, and slowing the heartrate and breath pattern.

While the switch between these two systems is usually involuntary, we can make voluntary changes to affect our physical state. For example, if you start breathing quickly and shallowly through your mouth you may start to feel stressed or anxious even if you are just sitting on the couch. Conversely, consciously taking slow, deep nasal breaths can promote a state of calm, even while in heightened situations.

Studies have found that voluntary slow, deep breathing functionally resets the autonomic nervous system, synchronizing neural elements in the heart, lungs, limbic system and cortex. In general, slow breathing techniques enhance interactions between autonomic, cerebral and psychological flexibility, linking parasympathetic and central nervous system activities related to both emotional control and well-being.

Another reason that voluntary slow, deep breathing can promote relaxation or, at minimum, a de-escalation of emotional response is that it engages the decision-making functions of the brain. When we actively choose to slow our breathing down, we redirect brain activity to the more logical areas of the brain and away from the emotional areas. This promotes self-awareness and cognitive modulation, essentially making us feel more in control of our thoughts, feelings and actions.

Breathing in a Face Covering

Whether you wear a face covering all day at work, or only the rare times when you’re out in the community, the presence of a barrier over your mouth and nose is an uncomfortable and sometimes scary feeling. Despite our evolutionary, and understandable, aversion to having something cover our faces, rest assured that face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are completely safe and do not affect oxygen saturation. If you’re feeling stressed or anxious while wearing a mask, try consciously slowing down your breathing and taking deep inhales and exhales through only your nose to help your body activate the parasympathetic system, downregulate, and promote calmness. Voluntary, slow nasal breathing is a tool that we can use at any time— masked or unmasked— to help change our physical, mental, and emotional state and find a greater sense of peace and security.