Case study: Foundational Breathing for Stress Management, Energy and Cognitive Resilience

Alex (name changed), a male in his 40s, sought support to improve breathing, manage stress, and boost energy and focus. He experienced apnoea, fatigue, and a racing heart under stress, and often became overloaded when facing challenges. The intervention focused on building foundational, sustainable breathing practices while gradually introducing more detailed techniques to support both physiological and cognitive regulation.

The Situation

• Client: Alex, adult male

• Symptoms: Apnoea, exhaustion/fatigue, racing heart during stress, found it difficult to engage in balanced conversation – reactive, impulsive, and tendency towards anxiety.

• Observations: Engaged and curious from the outset, but tended to “transmit” information rather than absorb it fully. Felt quickly overloaded when exercises increased in complexity, with difficulty maintaining focus for longer durations.

• Goal: Improve everyday breathing habits, reduce stress response, and enhance energy and focus.

Deciding on a Protocol

• Assessment: Initial sessions highlighted challenges with attention and information retention under cognitive or physical load.

• Considerations: Overloading Alex would reduce effectiveness, so the focus should remain on foundational practices.

• Decision: Begin with core, manageable breath exercises and gradually build towards more detailed techniques as familiarity and comfort increased.

The Protocol

• Approach: Emphasis on healthy everyday breathing and simple, repeatable routines.

• At-home exercises: Incorporated daily into Alex’s life, allowing practical reinforcement.

• Progression: Second session introduced independent practice reflections, followed by extended and detailed diaphragmatic breathing techniques.

• Additional interventions: Mouth taping at night, used alone and in combination with his prescribed brace to support sleep quality.

• Tools: Guided exercises, reflective journaling, and tracking of sleep and snoring patterns through personal app logs.

The Outcome

• Observed Changes: Notable improvements in patience, attentiveness, and reduced fatigue.

• Stress Response: Situations that previously caused prolonged wakefulness now had significantly less impact.

• Client Feedback: Positive perception of progress and confidence in using techniques independently.

• Quantitative Evidence: Nighttime recordings indicated improved breathing and sleep patterns.

• Overall Result: Alex demonstrated a more reflective, calm, and resilient temperament compared with early sessions.