What's the connection between dysfunctional breathing, energy and burnout?

What's the connection between dysfunctional breathing, energy and burnout?

We often hear the statistic that most of us breathe around 20,000 times a day.

In my functional breath training I always say that optimal breathing is between 4 1/2 and 6 1/2 breaths a minute. That works out as between 6,480 and 9,360 breaths a day rather than the commonly quoted 20,000!

So what does this tell us? That most of us are over breathing! More air more oxygen what’s the problem?

The problem is that more air actually means less oxygen delivered to your cells, which means less energy. Every now and again that’s not a problem, but chronic over breathing (i.e. all the time) can slowly deplete your reserves which can contribute to fatigue, brain fog or even, over the long term, burn out.

So what is dysfunctional breathing?

Most of us are born breathing perfectly and then somewhere along the line it starts to shift. To become shallower, to be from the chest rather than deep using the diaphragm, to become faster, to hold our breath unintentionally or to breathe through our mouth. All of these are signs of dysfunctional breathing.

Tech apnoea is actually a thing - we hold our breath whilst we’re using tech, also when we’re stressed. Sitting all day at a computer can also contribute to developing dysfunctional breathing patterns. When we experience traumas as we go through life this can lock in shallow breathing patterns.

But what does dysfunctional breathing do to your energy?

As I mentioned above, shallow breathing reduces oxygen delivery to our cells, that’s every part of our body.

Whilst we often think of carbon dioxide as the waste gas, it’s actually critical for delivering the oxygen to the cells. So you need that build up of carbon dioxide to properly use the oxygen. Over breathing doesn’t allow the carbon dioxide to build up.

Think of the oxygen in the blood like people on a bus, they can only get off at the bus stop if there is some carbon dioxide waiting for them.

Dysfunctional breathing and our nervous system

Our nervous system uses a lot of energy so if energy reserves are depleted through over breathing this isn’t a good start.

But it goes deeper than that, if we’re chest breathing, or over breathing we keep the sympathetic nervous system activated. This uses up more energy but also keeps us in a stress cycle which it’s hard to undo.

The good news is that it is possible to retrain the breath and undo these dysfunctional breathing patterns, or even manage anxiety in the moment with breath exercises that extend the exhale, to build up that carbon dioxide and stimulate the parasympathetic rest and digestion branch of the nervous system,.

And this is why how we breathe is so important for burn out prevention.

Chronic dysfunctional breathing maintains the body in a low-level stress state. Not only does this sap energy but it can disrupt digestion, impact upon sleep, compromise our immune system, heart health and our metabolism and hormones. So it can impact on pretty much every system in the body.

As a nutritional therapist the link with gut health is a fascinating one. We can have the best diet in the world but if we’re in a stressed state, the chances are we won’t be properly digesting or absorbing that wonderful meal.

This study found that slow deep breathing alone helped IBS symptoms. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34595801/. Wow just breathing slowly!

So of course I’m biased but it really is mind blowing that something so simple as breathing can help high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, reduce stress, improve sleep… the list goes on.

Retraining the breath

Breathing is an automatic function so any dysfunctional patterns will switch back once we stop thinking about it. So there are two approaches I work with to help us get back to that slow, deep breathing that serves us so well to keep us calm, energised and sleep well.

The first approach is breath re-training - working slowly and consistently with daily exercises to retain the breath. This takes commitment and perseverance but over time can build your carbon dioxide tolerance increasing energy, reducing stress and improving sleep. For this you can work with an expert, do the exercises and take it forward yourself.

The second approach is to go deeper, into the subconscious to help to undo those learned shallow breathing patterns. Conscious connected breathwork helps us to do just that, to go deep, unblock restrictive breathing patterns and open up the full capacity of the respiratory system. This is a powerful healing modality which can be very effective in calming the nervous system. For this it is best to work with a qualified practitioner or attend a breath workshop to be fully supported.

A simple breath exercise to get you started

So, if want something to take away to help you in the moment, here’s the simplest exercise for starters to get your body into a rest and digest state before a meal, when you’re anxious, to help sleep….

Breathe in for 4 and out for 6….repeat!!