Just Breathe

Ever notice how your shoulders creep up, your jaw tightens, and suddenly your breath seems to disappear? When we get stressed, startled, or are in deep concentration, the body’s default is to shallow-breathe or hold the breath for a beat or ten. It’s like an automatic “freeze” button that shows up in conversations, deadlines, or when you’re trying to solve problems.

Holding your breath is small and silent, but it has big effects. Even a few seconds of breath-holding raises tension, makes your neck and chest tight, and tells your brain you’re still in danger — which keeps stress hormones high. That’s why your anxiety feels present even after the situation is over.

The good news, it’s easy to catch. Try checking in with your body a few times a day to see if you are breathing into your chest or letting your belly move? Are you pausing between sentences? Does your jaw feel hard? These tiny clues tell you when you’re holding your breath. Increased awareness and conscious breathing will help cue your body to maintain a steady flow of air.

For more concentrated focus on the breath, try Breathwork. It can do more than calm the moment — for many people it helps unblock emotions and memories that have been stored in the body. Gentle, sustained breathing practices increase introspection and awareness, which can allow sensations and feelings tied to past pain to surface in a safer, more manageable way. When breath is used with care, it creates space to feel, process, and release tension without getting swept away by it.

 Trauma work can bring up strong emotions or physical reactions. Use gentler techniques, go slowly, and consider doing deeper work with a trauma-aware therapist or breathwork facilitator who can provide support and integration.

And finally — be kind to yourself. Holding your breath is just your nervous system trying to help. The trick is gently moving it toward something calmer, one small breath at a time.