Will your body stop breathing if you concentrate on things other than breathing?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for the query. I can understand your concern. According to your statement, you have been suffering from stopping to breathe while focusing your mind on something else other than breathing.

Breathing is a continuous process that is primarily subconscious. But, sometimes, when we focus our mind entirely on a task, to perform the task, our autonomic nervous system may hold or switch off breathing for a while. But our autonomic nervous system cannot control breathing for an extended period. Without a continuous breathing process, we cannot live for a long time.

So, it is pretty normal. But, it can be a sign of stress or anxiety if such an incident happens too frequently. Controlling stress or anxiety is the main solution. Your tests for measuring breathing were normal (attachments removed to protect the patient’s identity). So, do not worry. If you think that you are suffering from any stress or anxiety, you can consult with a professional psychiatrist for psychotherapy and counseling to control your stress or anxiety.

Take care.