The Problem I Have with Mouth Breathers
Even when it's not their fault
I recently tweeted:
The smallest act of kindness you can do today is to breathe soft and slow.
A soft and slow breath creates a soft and slow nervous system.
Peace and compassion then rise to the surface without effort.
Unfortunately, the opposite is true.
An uneasy and irregular breath creates an uneasy and irregular nervous system.
Irritation and anxiety then start to drive our actions.
This is one of the problems I have with mouth breathers.
Not that it’s always their fault but they’re often more irritable and less compassionate to others and themselves. Not because that’s who they are necessarily but because their nervous system is more on edge.
The frustrating thing is the solution is simple - breathe through the nose - but when something is so easy, it’s harder to convince people how important it is.
However, a simple exercise soothes any doubt.
On your next breath, breathe the next 20 breaths in and out of your mouth as quickly as you possibly can, focusing solely on the inhale.
Then breathe the next 20 breaths in and out of your nose as slowly as you possibly can, focusing solely on the exhale.
What was the difference? How did each one make you feel?
Typically, breathing through your nose should have made you feel more calm and relaxed while breathing through your mouth should have left you feeling more uptight, even claustrophobic.
Although this is extreme, people who breathe through their mouths on a regular basis feel this on a more subtle level. And the sad thing is that inflammation and stress rise, sleep and digestion are disrupted, and allergies are more common.
Here is some more compelling research on the matter.
The Short and Long-Term Effects of Mouth Breathing
The short-term effects associated with mouth breathing vary from dry mouth, bad breath, tiredness, brain fog, poor digestion, poor sleep, snoring, sleep apnea (holding the breath while sleeping), blocked sinuses, allergies, high stress levels, and increased anxiety levels. However, the long-term side effects are somewhat more concerning. They range from depression, inflammation, hypertension, and chronic fatigue all the way up to heart attacks and even heart failure.
Some scientists, medical professionals, and dentists have even linked sustained mouth breathing to more intergenerational conditions such as overcrowded mouths, shallower mouth palates, deviated septums, receding jaw lines and gums, restricted airways, and overbites/underbites.
To understand their reasoning behind this, think about how wind direction can influence a growing tree or how water can shape and mould something as hard as rock. It doesn’t matter how rigid something appears to be in nature, repetitive action reigns supreme in the end. The way the breath shapes the body is no different.
If the areas in and around the nose and nasal cavity don’t have enough air flowing over them because a person is mouth breathing, for example, the soft tissues that develop there eventually close up. If more time passes, cartilage and bone structure also change. The mouth palate drops and the airways become tighter as a result. This is how evolution works and it shows the difficulty mouth breathers face when it comes to health.
As James Nestor so brilliantly pointed out when it comes to the function of the nose: “It's a classic example of use it or lose it.”
I’m often wary of making generalised statements when it comes to health but when it comes to the breath, a more sweeping statement can be made because the breath has consistent outcomes. Breathe in through the nose, for instance, and air will enter the body much slower and dust and bacteria will be prevented from entering the lungs. This will naturally have an overall soothing effect on the body.
Breathe in through the mouth, on the other hand, and the opposite is true. Air enters the body much faster and it’s less filtered which has a more tensing effect. This goes for everyone all over the world regardless of their age, gender, race, nationality, body type, or even current health condition.
A few small tweaks can make a big difference. And perhaps the biggest of all is to switch from mouth breathing to nose breathing.
Below is an exercise that focuses on just that. It’s a simple exercise you can do in daily life that instills healthy breathing habits. It’s my go-to whenever I need a moment to pause, clear my mind, and become present.
It’s also what the Navy SEALs do to reduce stress in intense combat.
Box Breathing
Breathe in deeply and smoothly through your nose for 4 seconds
Hold your breath at the top for 4 seconds
Breathe out softly and calmly through your nose for 4 seconds
Hold your breath at the bottom for 4 seconds
This is one complete cycle
Continue for 25-50 breaths or 5-10 minutes
To deepen the experience, increase the number of seconds you breathe in and out and hold for (5 or 6 seconds, for example) if it feels right to do so
If you’ve enjoyed this week’s instalment, I go deeper into this kind of content much more in my book - The Joy of Breathing. If you haven’t already got a copy, I can highly recommend it.
Thanks for reading!
See you next week :)