Wearing a mask has become an essential part of life. Like many others, you too may not find it to be precisely comfortable, but it still is a significant catalyst in slowing down the spread of novel Coronavirus.
That said, you may have noticed while wearing the mask, especially for long periods, it starts to hinder your breathing process. However, wearing a mask is as vital as breathing if you want to keep yourself unaffected from the COVID-19 virus.
But if you are not comfortable breathing while wearing a mask, you are doing something wrong that you should be aware of and find the reasons behind it.
In this short article, you will learn how to be comfortable when wearing a mask and a few essential tips to help you communicate efficiently even when you are wearing a mask. Let’s get started:
Be Mindful: Breath More Efficiently When Wearing a Mask
The next time you are wearing a mask, sit back and relax and be mindful of every little detail about the way you breathe. You can start by asking yourself: does your stomach move when you breathe, or is it your upper chest? Are you living from the mouth or nose?
To find out the answers, place your hands on your belly, take slow but deep breaths through your nose and feel your stomach inflate outward and deflate as you breathe out through your mouth.
Practice it as much as possible when you are wearing a mask. It will help you breathe better while you are wearing a mask for a long time. Moreover, with this technique, you are secretly activating your breathing muscles.
Also, when wearing a face mask, try to relax as much as possible. Make sure you loosen up your upper chest and shoulders. You can start by trying: arm circles, shoulder shrugs, arm stretches, side to side bending, torso twists. To determine whether or not your body is relaxed, see if your body feels any pain when trying these movements.
Express Your Emotions: With a Mask On
When you are unable to express your emotions, you’ll naturally start feeling stressed. It can negatively affect your breathing. Plus, with a regular mask on, you can find it very difficult to communicate your feelings with the person sitting next to you, and while talking to them, you may find yourself at a loss for words. It is the reason why the clear mask has become a favorite among many in the past few months. It helps you show other people that you are smiling behind your mask while assisting them in understanding everything you have to say.
Besides, with a clear mask, you will feel more confident and comfortable as it doesn’t disrupt your breathing process compared to a regular mask.
The Age-Old Debate: Nose Breathing Vs. Mouth Breathing
A good rule of thumb is to breathe through your nose when you are working out. It helps you to be more alert and active when you are exercising in the gym. But, many of you must have found it restrictive while working out with a mask on. As a result, it changes your breathing patterns. That said, you will find mouth breathing to be dissatisfying and inappropriate at times.
Plus, when you breathe through your nose, you are lowering the amount of moisture you keep accumulating in your mask. So, the winner here is nose breathing. Next time when you have your mask on, make sure that you are breathing through your nose.
Keep Practicing: It Takes Time to Adjust the Breathing
You will have to keep practicing to make your breathing through the mask feel more comfortable. The more you practice, the more your body will adjust to wearing the mask for more extended periods. Make sure your mask is of a proper fit because a face mask that is not adequately fit on your face can create problems of its own. And that you need to avoid at all costs.
When in Gym: Mask Adjusting Tips When Working Out
Always make sure you take your hand behind your ears to remove the mask. Never try to remove it from the front of your mask, especially when you are working out in a gym.
When your hands and palms are sweaty, you need to ignore touching your face and mask as much as possible. Sanitize your hands before and after touching your mask. Also, avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes when you take your mask off.
Ensure that you take breathing breaks after every set of your exercise. When you have to take your mask off, make sure you follow the norms of social distancing, and if that is not possible, find a space that has no one around you.
With the use of these simple breathing techniques, you can have a rigorous workout session while you are wearing a mask. Moreover, it becomes even more important to wear a mask when other people surround you and when you are in a gym, you can not avoid being in the company of other people. Hence, it becomes more important to be mindful of your breathing to comfortably wear your mask as long as you are working hard in the gym.
To Sum it Up
Wearing a mask has become a necessity. You can not even think of leaving your home without wearing a mask. So, when you have no other choice to keep wearing your face mask when you are in the company of other people, it can take a toll on your breathing process and create a few minor problems for you. However, you can avoid these problems if you put a little focus on your breathing techniques.
With the tips mentioned earlier, you can quickly wear a mask for as long as you need. Also, you can select from many different masks that can help you breathe better. With the help of this short guide, you can stay safe and healthy when wearing a face mask.
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