Anyone else feel anxious about breathing while wearing a mask? Any tips?

[GlummyMcGlummerson]

This might sound weird - but it is actually "a thing" apparently - but if I think about breathing I struggle to breath and get short of breath. I can't meditate or warm up properly at the gym because for some reason concentrating on breathing leaves me breathless. This has translated to mask wearing. I know my oxygen levels are fine but after a minute of wearing it I feel out of breath and have to open the bottom to let air in (I know this is purely psychological).

Is it just me who feels like this? Any tips from those who have cracked mask anxiety?

Can you practice wearing it at home...start with a few minutes and try build it up?

I was thrown in the deep end when covid happened...walked into work at a care home and told we had to work in full PPE for full shift (12 hours minus half hour for lunch we could take it off) I ended up going home with a migraine.

I suppose having to wear them I just got used to them now.

Make sure you keep hydrated too.

I've used surgical masks, fabric masks and dust masks...the surgical ones are easiest for me to cope in....try a few different types and see which works best for you.

Try wearing one while doing something at home eg reading a book, gardening, washing the dishes.

If the issue is thinking about your breathing, then do something that distracts you from that.

Once you get used to wearing it, you'll realise that it doesn't actually interfere with your breathing in any noticeable way (and I say that as an asthmatic) and will hopefully be able to focus on the tasks you're doing outside (eg shopping, hairdressers, face to face meetings) rather than on your breathing.

I can't meditate or warm up properly at the gym because for some reason concentrating on breathing leaves me breathless

I have always been like this. As soon as I concentrate on my breathing, I become hyper aware of my need to breathe. I used to struggle through meditation excersises and when it got to "and let your breathing return to normal" I'd end up panting like a dog.

The only thing that has eased it has been time and practise I'm afraid. But I wore a mask shopping for the first time today and really struggled too. I'm basically planning to shop online as much as possible 😬

I find breathing through my nose and not my mouth helps. No idea why.

I understand what you mean him. I am the same, anything that covers my mouth and nose gives me panic attacks, I even get them when I am sleeping if something that happened during the day triggers them (before anyone asks they are on my medical records) I am then too frightened to fall asleep for days in case I die sleeping.

I am trying to slowly get used to them, yesterday I wore one for a couple of minutes and ended up with heart palpations and breathing difficulties, so whipped it off as last time I had an attack like that my GP bluelighted me to hospital.

Today at work I managed a couple more minutes longer than yesterday then spent the rest of my shift holding it against just my mouth and not my nose which helped a little...

I'm going to try a bandana and see if that works as it's loose around nose and mouth

TBH it didn't take that long of wearing one for me to be able to forget about it and not focus as been wearing them in work since end of March - think it's going to be strange to go back to not wearing them in work (and I've realised when I concentrate I stick my tongue out a little, which I used to do as a kid but stopped when I grew up as it looks stupid - noone can see me so I've started doing it again)

Once you get used to it you do stop thinking about the breathing and it's easier - some do fit better than others (and never eat an extra strong mint while wearing one - all that minty breath gets straight up your nose and eyes)

Oh biting my lip used to help when I first wore them during surgery if I felt sicky, faint (in fairness that may have been observing surgery rather than the mask wearing but as they first happened at the same time it's hard to say which - it would just bring me back to 'now' if that makes sense

Get one with the plastic thing with a few air holes. I can breathe in one of those even with a filter added

Make sure you are wearing a cotton mask that fits well. I've got lovely cotton masks but one polyester thing that feels like I'm suffocating.
I'm claustrophobic and asthmatic, but have always had to wear masks for part of my work, so walking around shops in them feels fine.
A friend wears a neckachief and he pulls it up when he goes inside shops. It fits above his nose but is loose around his nose and mouth, allowing free flowing air.

Problem is that the ones with air valves aren't as effective as they let let all your breath out