This Is the One Thing You Can Do to Feel Alive Again

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you felt as though you were being choked?

I found myself in that position the day I became a dad for the first time.

My whole life and routine changed drastically. I ran on low fuel almost daily, didn’t have a consistent sleeping schedule, and it was hard to do my creative work.

But what stressed me the most were the unrealistic expectations I had given myself as a new dad. Instead of adapting to my new life, I was resisting it.

I was trying to produce the same intensity in my projects, learning, and content creation as I did before becoming a dad. But my stubbornness caused me a lot of trouble, health-wise.

On top of my horrible sleeping schedule, I didn’t eat well (a lot of snacking, guys) and I neglected my fitness.

Going through those busy days became a real challenge. At times, it left me feeling overwhelmed and lost. While a little busyness doesn't hurt anyone, the accumulation of stress can push you to the point of no return.

What followed was depression as a result of the stress. And it can sneak up on you when you least expect it. Socially, I didn’t do well. When my daughter was born, I lived in another town away from family and close friends.

Eventually, I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, and what caused it is still unknown to this day. My life was put on pause. But there was one habit I started practicing that helped me feel alive again in the middle of the chaos.

It’s so simple that most people (including me before) won’t bother doing it every day.

The habit is deep, conscious breathing.

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Simple habit with a profound effect

You breathe on average about 20,000 times a day without thinking about it, and that’s because of how your autonomic nervous system works.

But how much of your breathing is done consciously? How much of it do you appreciate? Because the way you breathe has a huge impact on your health and well-being.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was not the best at listening to my body. And it wasn’t until I was diagnosed with my current condition that I was “forced” to make changes.

I was exposed to Wim Hof while I was searching for ways to improve my health and maintain my symptoms.

Here I watched an ordinary man doing seemingly impossible challenges. He swam in ice-cold water the size of a football field in a single breath, climbed mountains in shorts, and ran in hot weather without losing his core temperature.

I was amazed.

My curiosity got the best of me. I was eager to learn about his methods, especially since they were relevant to my condition, which caused me anxiety.

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Breathe in and breathe out

Wim’s breathing exercises consist of slow, deep inhalations and exhalations (30 to 40 times), and on the last exhale, you hold your breath — this is called the retention mode.

And when you feel the urge to breathe again, you take one more deep breath and hold it for another 10 to 15 seconds.

This makes up for one cycle. You then repeat it 3–4 times, preferably on an empty stomach (you don’t want to throw up your food, trust me.)

You can either inhale through your mouth or nose. Personally, I inhale through my nose during the first cycle (for better air control). But I switch to inhaling through my mouth if I have a stuffy nose.

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The turning point

When I first tried it out, it felt like I hadn’t breathed properly in my entire life. It showed how much I had undervalued my breathing.

I only managed to hold my breath for less than one minute in my first session. I knew I wasn’t gonna get it the first time. But it got better each day with each session.

Those who’ve done deep breathing know the feeling when you fill your lungs with air and get this rush of energy like never before. And at that moment, it felt like I had regained control of my body.

It was like a light switch turned on inside me.

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Keeping the record

Now, I’ve been doing this since the beginning of 2023. It became a daily practice in the morning.

But I’ll be honest, there have been times when I’ve slacked, and I could feel the consequences of falling behind.

In three months, I only managed to do 10 breathing sessions. It wasn’t until December 2023 that I began to commit to the exercises. As the saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

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Final thoughts

My only regret was that I didn’t start practicing deep breathing before my diagnosis. It has helped reduce my stress and anxiety, improved my focus and mental clarity, helped me sleep better, and boosted my creativity.

Deep breathing changes the chemistry of the body by bringing oxygen into the tissue.

— Wim Hof

If you ever feel depleted of energy, your mind is hazy, and you want to regain control.

Take a deep breath, let go, and feel the difference it can make in your life.