Nose or Mouth?
One Makes You Sharper, the Other Makes You Stressed…
Introduction
Breathing is the one thing we do more than anything else; over 20,000 times a day. But what if I told you that most of us are doing it wrong? In fact, poor breathing habits are so common in modern life that they’ve become the norm. Mouth breathing, shallow breathing, and over-breathing have silently crept into our daily lives, silently taxing our nervous systems, draining our energy, and disrupting our emotional balance. The good news? With a few simple changes, we can undo this damage, starting with one breath at a time.
The Rise of the Dysfunctional Breather
Let’s be clear: breathing through your mouth was never the body’s default setting. Our ancestors, ancient yogis, and tribal communities all knew the power of nasal breathing and breath control. But fast forward to today, and our fast-paced, overstimulated, stress-heavy environment has rewired us. We sit too much, talk too much, stress too much, and we breathe in a way that reflects that chaos. We breathe high in the chest, through the mouth, and far too often.
Mouth breathing bypasses the body’s natural filtration system. It dries out the mouth, reduces nitric oxide production (more on that shortly), and leads to over-breathing, blowing off too much carbon dioxide and leaving us feeling anxious, restless, and fatigued. The knock-on effects? Poor sleep, low energy, brain fog, and a dysregulated nervous system.
Nasal Breathing: The Gateway to Balance
Your nose isn’t just a hole in your face, it’s a sophisticated breathing tool. When you breathe through your nose, you activate a cascade of benefits:
Nitric oxide production: Nasal breathing releases nitric oxide, a molecule that dilates blood vessels, improves oxygen delivery, and has antimicrobial properties. Mouth breathing skips this entirely.
Filtration & humidification: Your nose filters out dust and pathogens, warms and humidifies incoming air, and supports overall lung health.
Better oxygenation: Contrary to what you might think, breathing slower through your nose actually helps oxygen reach your tissues more efficiently. That’s because it preserves CO₂, which is critical for triggering oxygen release via the Bohr Effect.
Nasal breathing also naturally slows your breath down and engages the diaphragm, leading us to the nervous system side of things.
Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic: The Two Breath States
Your breath is the remote control to your nervous system. The way you breathe can flip you between two major physiological states:
Sympathetic (Fight or Flight)
Fast, shallow, mouth breathing engages the sympathetic nervous system. It prepares you for action; pumping adrenaline, raising your heart rate, and flooding your system with cortisol. This is useful in an emergency, but a disaster when it becomes your default setting.
Many modern breathwork techniques like Conscious Connected Breathing purposefully activate this system to bring repressed emotions to the surface. It’s an intense, transformational practice, but not how you should breathe all day.
Parasympathetic (Rest and Digest)
Slow, controlled nasal breathing with longer exhales activates the parasympathetic system. This is the state of recovery, clarity, and emotional regulation. Techniques like box breathing, coherent breathing, or simply slowing your exhale help shift your physiology into this calm zone.
How Poor Breathing Affects Your Brain and Body
Let’s connect the dots. Poor breathing habits, especially mouth breathing and chronic hyperventilation can lead to:
Poor sleep and sleep apnea
Low energy and poor oxygen delivery
Increased inflammation
Anxiety and mood swings
Impaired cognitive function
That’s because chronic over-breathing reduces CO₂ levels, which narrows blood vessels and restricts oxygen flow to the brain and muscles. At the same time, it keeps your nervous system in a mild fight-or-flight mode, raising your heart rate, increasing stress hormones, and compromising digestion and recovery.
History Knows Best: Ancient Breathers Were Onto Something
Ancient yogis developed Pranayama to control life force through breath. Taoist monks practiced Qi Gong breathing to harmonise the body’s internal energy. Tibetan monks used Tummo breathing to raise body heat and reach deep meditative states. None of them were mouth breathing.
The modern breathwork movement has roots in these systems, but we’re now rediscovering them through a scientific lens. From Buteyko breathing (which emphasises nasal breath and CO₂ tolerance) to Somatic breathwork (which blends ancient breath patterns with trauma-informed healing), the field is coming full circle.
So, What Should You Do?
Here’s the foundation of healthy breath:
Shut your mouth. Unless you’re exercising hard, keep your mouth shut and breathe through your nose.
Breathe with your diaphragm. Your belly should rise and fall, not your shoulders.
Slow it down. Aim for 5–6 breaths per minute. Try 4-6 second inhales and 6-8 second exhales.
Make your exhale longer than your inhale. This is your shortcut to calming the nervous system.
Practice awareness. Simply noticing your breath is the first step to changing it.
Final Thoughts
Your breath is more than just air, it’s information. Every breath you take sends a signal to your body and mind. Are you safe? Are you stressed? Are you thriving? Reclaiming your breath means reclaiming your biology. By going back to what the ancients knew and what science now confirms, you can breathe your way into a clearer, calmer, more energised version of yourself.