Monitor Breathing
During an activity, it is important to pause frequently to check if you are becoming short of breath. This will also assist you in increasing your breathing awareness. If breathing does become fast or shallow, you need to stop the activity and focus on getting the breath back into a comfortable pattern before continuing the task. If you do become short of breath while going about your daily activities, then you need to use a recovery breathing technique.
Recovery breathing technique:
1. Stop and rest
2. Relax your body
3. Use the pursed-lip breathing technique
If you find that you continually become short of breath during your daily routine, ask your doctor to see an occupational therapist for pulmonary rehablitation. You will learn to increase your awareness and coordinate your breathing with activities. You will also learn breathing, relaxation and energy conservation techniques. In short, you will gain breathing skills for the job of living.
Learn about ways to minimize shortness of breath while eating.
This information has been approved by Shelby Jenkins, OTR and Chelsea Randall, MS, OTR/L (May 2012).