How Nasal Breathing Boosted My Energy and Improved My Life –

A few years back, every day felt exhausting. I’d wake up tired, I relied heavily on caffeine just to stay focused at work. And, I was even more tired and cranky when I got home.  I figured it was just part of getting older. But I was wrong. Nasal breathing was a concept I wouldn’t learn about until it was almost too late.

One winter evening, walking up an icy hill while taking my dog for a walk, I found I couldn’t catch my breath. My lungs and throat burned from the cold as I could only breathe through my mouth – my nose was useless. I was in poor shape but the issue at that moment wasn’t my fitness level but something far worse. My issue was a breathing problem, a problem that made my fitness and health worse. Without realizing it, I’d become a chronic mouth breather, and it was quietly draining my energy.

When I discovered the power of nasal breathing, everything changed. It sounds simple—and it is—but breathing through my nose changed everything. Over the next 3 or 4 weeks, my energy increased, my sleep improved, and my mind felt clearer than it had in a long time.

If you’ve been feeling constantly tired or lack the energy to do much about it, it is most likely your breathing that’s holding you back. Even if you tend to breathe from your nose most of the time, those times you don’t (perhaps when sleeping or exercising) slowly erode your health.

Let me show you exactly how changing the way you breathe can dramatically improve your entire life.

My Life Before Nasal Breathing

Before I learned to breathe properly through my nose, having low energy was a regular thing. I’d wake up groggy, no matter how many hours I thought I slept the night before. By mid-afternoon, after already having two coffees, I’d feel completely drained, grabbing my third cup just to make it through the day.

Here’s how I felt most days back then:

• Woke up tired: Even after 8 hours of sleep, I never felt refreshed. I tried to catch up on sleep during the weekends, waking up at noon.
• Had constant fatigue: Feet dragging mornings and coffee fueled afternoons were common.
• Poor workout performance: I lacked the ability to sustain even a low level of cardio exercise before quickly losing steam and motivation.
• Brain fog and forgetfulness: I was constantly challenged with staying focused on a task for more than 10 minutes, which greatly impacted my work productivity.
• Dry mouth and throat infections: It seemed nearly every morning, I’d wake up thirsty and feeling like I was coming down with an infection.

I didn’t see these issues as abnormal. Isn’t it normal to feel more tired as you get older? I assumed everything was as it should be.. The problem was, no matter how well I took care of myself or the number of vacation days I used to ‘relax’, things never got better. I soon learned that mouth breathing was the root of most of my problems and was slowly draining my energy, sleep quality, and mental clarity.

Once I figured it out, everything changed dramatically. Here’s how I learnt about nasal breathing and its benefits.

What’s Wrong with Mouth Breathing Anyway?

At first, I didn’t see how mouth breathing was an issue. I thought, much like many of you –  breathing is breathing—right? But as I read books and did research, I found out just how damaging mouth breathing truly is to our health, especially for those in their midlife.

Here’s what I learned about why mouth breathing drains your energy:

• Less Oxygen, Less Energy:

  When you breathe through your mouth, your body actually absorbs up to 20% less oxygen than if you breathe through your nose. That means your muscles, brain, and organs aren’t getting the fuel they need, which leaves you constantly tired.

• Increased Stress Response:
  

  Mouth breathing causes a stress reaction. Instead of relaxing, your nervous system stays stuck in “fight or flight” mode, flooding your body with cortisol—the stress hormone. This continuous stress saps your strength, slows down recovery, and even increases belly fat.

• Worse Sleep Quality:
  

  Breathing through your mouth at night dries out your throat and sabotages your sleep routine. It can cause snoring, sleep apnea, and cause you to wake up frequently. Bad sleep means less growth hormone and testosterone production, both necessary for energy and muscle recovery.

I was experiencing all these issues without even knowing it. I’d accepted poor sleep, getting winded too easily during workouts, and being tired all the time as normal parts of aging. However, once I realized mouth breathing was the cause of these issues, I finally had something concrete to work on.

Here’s what came next when I found out about nasal breathing—and why it changed my health and outlook.

Discovering the Power of Nasal Breathing

I stumbled across nasal breathing almost by accident. Constantly frustrated from being tired and unfocused, I started looking at ways to increase my energy levels. I started doing Wim Hof breathing and did so regularly but found that while I was able to temporarily breathe from my nose, it didn’t last long. Then I came across a book by the journalist James Nestor called simply “Breath”. This started a journey of research and discovery. I soon understood what I had to do. If I wanted to fix my breathing I would need to learn how – so I took a course to become a certified breathing coach.

And, here’s what happened:

• Steady, Sustained Energy:

  The constant tiredness at first diminished and then vanished completely. My energy became more constant throughout the day, eliminating my need for afternoon coffee. I’m a fan of coffee so wouldn’t drop it entirely but no longer need it. Instead of relying on coffee to keep going, regular nasal breathing along with mediation exercises keep me energized throughout the entire day.

   

• Mental Clarity and Emotional Balance:
  

  Through better breathing I didn’t just increase my physical energy—I also sharpened my focus and emotional steadiness. Stress became much easier to manage and soon became nearly absent from my life. My mood became steady, and my ability to take up new tasks became so much easier. This improved clarity and steady mindset helped not just my work, but my relationships as well.

   

• Healthier Sleep Patterns:
  

  Although it took some time, quality sleep has become the norm. Each morning I wake refreshed without the grogginess or brain fog I’d come to see as normal. Better sleep led directly to better hormone balance, improved metabolism, and better health overall.

   

• Improved Workout Performance:
  

  With better oxygen delivery and lower stress levels, my cardio stamina improved greatly. Fast walks or jogs that once left me feeling exhausted and without breath are now a source of energy and alertness. I’ve noticed faster muscle recovery, increased strength, and fewer injuries, making exercising more enjoyable.

The great thing about nasal breathing is its simplicity. It costs nothing, takes little time, and provides so many benefits. Switching away from mouth breathing  didn’t just restore my energy—it improved all aspects of my health and in turn, my life.

Conclusion

Changing to breathing exclusively from my nose wasn’t just a minor adjustment—it greatly increased my energy, my sleep, and gradually allowed me to improve my fitness level. I never would have thought that changing how you breathe – breathing through my nose rather than my mouth – could change my life so dramatically.

If you’re always feeling tired, have issues sleeping, and have brain fog, I recommend you don’t take how your breathe lightly. Nasal breathing could be the missing piece that keeps you from exercising, losing weight or preventing you from living the life you want. Looking and feeling younger or regaining your edge is a distant thought. The thing is, you don’t need to take drastic steps or adopt complicated habits – just a bit of practice each day.

Start small, stay consistent, and be patient. The benefits of better breathing grow steadily over time, making each day better and more energized than the last.

To learn more check out the article The “Sharpen Your Edge” Framework to Regain Your Edge.