Another busy weekday morning comes. I rush to get the kids ready for school, reviewing my mental checklist for the day. I feel the pressure to get all my tasks done without making any crucial errors. I pull out of the driveway to head for school with my children finally in the car, panicked from the rush of the morning duties. Even when the stress of a busy moment dies down, my breathing is still short and shallow. Any task I take to, like writing a research paper, getting my son to soccer practice, or even doing the dishes, a similar tense and short breath accompanies me.
This is my life, the eternal day. Stress has been ever-present during the past five years. My family has made multiple out-of-state moves and faced significant financial strain while my husband started our contracting business. I struggle with anxiety from all the upheaval. In the face of life’s pressures, the practice of diaphragmatic breathing is an effective tool to holistically address anxiety and stress by fostering an internal environment that remains calm under pressure. Changing unconscious breathing patters will take persistence and introspection to see any lasting improvements. Conscious assessment of breath quality is important for stress management and quality of life.
There is a proper way to breath. A good breath allows the diaphragm and stomach to expand, then the chest rises. Both stomach and chest fall together on the exhale. Diaphragmatic respiration simply means breathing with the stomach and not the chest. When the neck and chest do work intended for the diaphragm, upper body pain and muscular dysfunction can follow. In the article “Respiration Connection,” massage therapist Paul Ingraham identifies the problem as follows: “chronic upper chest and neck breathing presumably exhausts and then eventually damages the emergency breathing musculature.” Allowing the diaphragm to do its intended work prevents upper body muscular fatigue.
Understanding the mechanics of breathing highlights the necessity to maintain a good breathing habit. Secondary muscles forcibly get involved when the diaphragm does not do the work of respiration neck muscles like the scaleni and sternocleidomastoid, and pectoralis minor get fatigued when used for breathing. The minor breathing muscles in the neck strain from lifting the chest and rib cage. Overuse of these secondary, thoracic muscles may contribute to chronic neck pain. Janet Travell, a doctor who did pioneering work on muscular trigger points, explains how “paradoxical respiration is a common source of abuse and overload on the scalene muscles.” Specifically, if musculoskeletal dysfunction appears in the upper extremities, bad breathing habits could be a major contributing factor.
New research sheds light on the benefits of belly breathing as a tool to manage anxiety. In 2017, China Medical University researchers taught a test group how to breath effectively and documented the group’s perceived anxiety levels before and after the breathing practice. After eight weeks of clinical treatment, they found that diaphragmatic breathing relaxation (DBR) was “effective at reducing the perceptions and symptoms of anxiety. . . . and offered several advantages over current conventional therapies for anxiety.” This research gives weight to the idea that stress management can be achieved through breathing exercises.
Breathing patterns may trigger the sympathetic nervous system to activate at times when it should not be activated. Under stress, the body sends itself into “fight or flight” response. When the sympathetic nervous system activates, blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels all rise. Maintaining a chronic chest breath could be inadvertently triggering this stress response and sending the body into survival mode. Conscious enforcement of DBR combats physiological stress by preventing the unnecessary activation of the sympathetic nervous system.
DBR is a simple and effective solution to managing physical stress in the body, yet it presents a few challenges. One problem is that diaphragmatic muscles weaken from lack of use and take considerable time to strengthen. Also, paradoxical breathing becomes so automatic that it takes frequent conscious effort to break the cycle. Another challenge is that people don’t take time to consider their breathing in the midst of a hectic, daily schedule. Lastly, the physical mechanics of diaphragmatic breath require the stomach to release during inhale. Our society prizes a flat stomach as a measure for physical beauty. Dr. Travell calls attention to this societal problem stating that “paradoxical respiration . . . is frequently used by patients who avoid abdominal protrusion to improve the appearance of their figure.” A relaxed, healthy breath takes a backseat to the hurried American lifestyle and challenges modern notions of physical beauty.
Ground-breaking research on DBR finds that the practice of slow belly breath may offer positive physiological effects. Emory University School of Medicine researchers found potential links from DBR to increased attention span, memory function and metabolic efficiency. They explored how “slower breathing rate could modify cognition by promoting relaxation and alert functional status.” It is logical that through decreased anxiety and increased relaxation, the body could better focus on higher level functions like memory recall. Through understanding the research done at Emory University, I hope to also see improvement in cognitive function by practicing DBR.
Evaluating my personal breathing patterns has been a more emotional process than I anticipated. The actual mechanics of DBR are not difficult to execute. The challenge lies in addressing the underlying anxiety. When I hit a moment of stress and notice my short breath, I am training myself to acknowledge the stress and breath through it. This forces me to face the deeper things causing chronic anxiety in my life. I gain insight into my emotional state by focusing on a calm belly breath and can use DBR as a tool to manage stress.
Now armed with the knowledge I need to address stress in a healthy way through DBR, I can develop a plan. My current goal is to consciously observe my breath and take notice when it is strained. What am I doing in those moments? What am I thinking about? What is under the surface that I want to ignore? I am taking moments to pause and give attention to my breathing. Whether I’m in the car, cleaning the house, or helping my kids with homework, I need to maintain an even breath. This fall, I am attending classes at the gym like Pilates and yoga to assist my mind, body and breath into slowing down. Moving forward, I plan to develop a specific, daily breathing habit.
My hope in evaluating my breathing is to bring calm and peace to myself, and to my family. Researching DBR convinced me that proper breathing habits are necessary to keep my stress response under control and improve my quality of life. As I inhale with intention, I can acknowledge any anxiety. As I exhale, I can let the anxiety go. Though breathing is an unconscious necessity of life, breathing with intention and consciousness will bring a better life.
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Elizabeth Canright is a long-time resident of Colorado Springs and a wife and mom of three. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and reading literature.
