The Power of Functional Breathing in Daily Life

Most people don’t think twice about how they breathe. It happens automatically, so why worry about it? But I’ve learned through my own experience and years of coaching others that the way you breathe can have a massive impact on your energy levels, focus, sleep quality, and stress. If you often feel tired, anxious, or short of breath, your breathing habits might be playing a bigger role than you think.

This is where functional breathing comes in. When I talk about functional breathing, I mean breathing in a way that supports your body’s natural rhythms and optimizes how you feel and perform every day.

What Is Functional Breathing and Why Does It Matter?

Functional breathing is about breathing in a way that supports efficient oxygen exchange, calms the nervous system, and works with your body instead of against it. It’s not about taking big, dramatic breaths. It’s about breathing in alignment with how your body is designed to function.

When I help someone develop functional breathing, we focus on making it:

• Nasal – Breathing through the nose filters and slows the airflow, allowing better oxygen uptake

• Diaphragmatic – Using the diaphragm instead of shallow chest breathing

• Rhythmic – Creating a smooth and consistent pattern

• Silent and Slow – Reducing excess air intake to support better oxygen and CO2 balance

Many people develop dysfunctional breathing habits without even realizing it. Stress, poor posture, mouth breathing, and bad habits picked up over time can all interfere. The good news is that you can retrain your breathing with consistent practice.

How Improper Breathing Impacts Health and Performance

1. Energy and Oxygen Use

People often think deeper breaths mean more oxygen, but that’s not the full story. Over-breathing can lead to low CO2 levels, and when that happens, your body struggles to release oxygen from the blood into your tissues. This is the Bohr Effect in action, and it’s something I cover in detail in The Language of Breath.

When you restore balance by breathing slowly and nasally, oxygen delivery improves. It’s something I’ve seen time and time again with clients, from athletes to everyday folks who just want to feel more energized and less foggy.

2. Stress and the Nervous System

Your breath is a direct pathway to your nervous system. Shallow, fast breathing keeps the body stuck in a stressed state. But slow, controlled breathing helps shift you into the parasympathetic response, the state where recovery, digestion, and healing happen.

Research backs this up. Studies in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience show that controlled breathing boosts heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects your body’s ability to respond to stress. I’ve seen people become more resilient and emotionally balanced just by making breathing adjustments.

Related Read: If stress and overwhelm are daily challenges, read Breathwork for Stress and Anxiety Relief: A Natural Approach.

3. Sleep Quality and Recovery

If you mouth-breathe at night, you’re not only missing out on oxygen efficiency, but you’re also putting yourself at risk for disrupted sleep. Nasal breathing supports deeper, more restorative sleep by regulating airflow and promoting nitric oxide production.

I often work with clients who’ve struggled with poor sleep for years. One of the first things we do is make nasal breathing a priority, especially during sleep. It makes a big difference.

Related Read: For more on how breath impacts rest, explore How Breathwork Improves Sleep Quality and Recovery.

4. Mental Focus and Clarity

Your brain needs a steady flow of oxygen. When your breathing is erratic or shallow, focus and memory suffer. A study from Frontiers in Neuroscience in 2021 found that breath control can enhance activity in the prefrontal cortex, improving attention and decision-making.

I’ve had clients tell me they feel sharper and more mentally clear just from committing to five minutes a day of proper breathwork.

Related Read: To dive deeper into how breathwork affects your mental and physical health, check out The Science of Breathwork: How It Impacts Your Mind and Body.

Three Exercises to Start Functional Breathing

If you’re ready to change how you breathe, you don’t need anything fancy. Here are three techniques I regularly teach:

1. Nasal Breathing Awareness

This is your foundation.

• Keep your lips sealed and breathe through your nose throughout the day

• Use nasal strips at night if you’re congested

• Try humming softly for a few minutes to boost nitric oxide levels

2. Diaphragmatic Breathing

This helps retrain the body to use the diaphragm.

• Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly

• Inhale through your nose, allowing your belly to rise

• Exhale through your nose, feeling the belly fall

• Practice for a few minutes daily

3. Cadence (Resonant) Breathing

This balances your nervous system and improves breath control.

• Inhale through your nose for 5.5 seconds

• Exhale through your nose for 5.5 seconds

• Continue for 5 to 10 minutes

These practices are simple but powerful. Over time, they become second nature.

Functional Breathing in Daily Life

I’ve had the honor of working with people from all walks of life—from professional athletes to teachers, nurses, and parents. The common thread is this: once they start breathing with more awareness and purpose, they begin to feel better. More energy. Less stress. Better sleep. Sharper focus.

Through my Language of Breath certification program, I teach people how to take this further, whether for personal transformation or to help others as coaches. It’s not about rigid rules or complex routines. It’s about understanding the body, respecting its rhythms, and applying breathwork in a way that makes sense for real life.

Take Charge of Your Breath

You breathe thousands of times a day. With just a small shift in how you do it, you can change how you feel, think, and recover.

If you're ready to explore functional breathing more deeply, I invite you to check out my breathwork certification program. Whether you’re just getting started or want to guide others, I’ll help you build a strong, science-backed foundation.

Start with the exercises above. Stay consistent. Your breath is more powerful than you realize, and learning to use it functionally might just change everything.