Do You Feel Stuck In “Flight or Fight”

Mouth breathing causes the body to live in a chronically stressed state of sympathetic overdrive. When a person is mouth breathing you are essentially hyperventilating, shallow, rapid breathing, and poor use of the diaphragm. The shallow rapid breathing affects the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system balance. A healthy human lives primarily in the parasympathetic state known as “rest and digest,” and occasionally moves into the sympathetic state known as “fight or flight” when faced with a serious threat or danger. If you spend too much of your time in a state of stress (as most modern humans do), it means that your sympathetic “fight or flight” state becomes your daily norm. This limits your ability to go back into the restorative parasympathetic state necessary for essential functions such as digestion and healing. Too much “fight or flight” decreases the quality of your sleep and can lead to serious mental health issues.