Recently it occurred to me that some of the resistance to mask-wearing as a method to reduce the risk of spreading COVID19 could emerge from genuine distress. I hear some people who do not have other medical reasons for being unable to wear a mask complain of feeling unable to breathe, or “gasping for air,” while wearing a mask.

If I were to take this complaint as a good faith report of their personal experience, it’s entirely possible that they could be experiencing symptoms of panic. The reasons for this could be myriad and by no means am I diagnosing you or able to provide a diagnosis over the Internet, without us having an appointment.

However, I can provide information about what panic could look like, and offer this practice below, which may be something you could try to see if you can become more comfortable with mask-wearing. If you find practicing this causes you more distress, do stop the video and seek additional support from a medical or mental health professional.