Orion recently conducted a survey to examine Finns’ experiences related to breathing and face masks. More than 50% of the respondents were now paying considerably or somewhat more attention to their breathing than before the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 80% of the respondents felt that wearing a face mask made breathing considerably or somewhat more difficult for them.
Emma Seppälä, PhD, Science Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, was the keynote speaker of the World Asthma Day event organised by Orion yesterday. She stated that emotion is linked to a breathing pattern and that you can change how you feel with your breath.
In April, Orion conducted a survey to examine Finns’ experiences related to breathing. The survey (n = 341) was carried out on Orion’s self-care pharmacy website at Itsehoitoapteekki.fi. More than 50% of the respondents reported that the coronavirus pandemic and the use of face masks had made them pay more attention than usual to their breathing. More than 15% of the respondents were paying considerably more attention to their breathing than before the coronavirus pandemic, while 38% reported that they were paying somewhat more attention.
Judging from the results, wearing a face mask affects how Finns experience their own breathing. Nearly 80% of the respondents felt that wearing a face mask made breathing considerably or somewhat more difficult for them. Face masks made breathing considerably more difficult for 14% and somewhat more difficult for 65% of the respondents. On the other hand, 20% felt that wearing a face mask had no impact on their breathing.
Emma Seppälä, PhD, Science Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, was the keynote speaker at the event organised by Orion for the media yesterday:
“Research shows that each emotion is linked to a breathing pattern and that you can change how you feel with your breath. Your breath is connected to your nervous system in many ways. By changing your breathing, you can calm yourself down in minutes.”
Although Finns are paying more attention to their breathing than before, more than 50% of the respondents had not conducted any exercises to strengthen or improve their breathing over the preceding six months. Only 18% had regularly conducted such exercises, while 30% had carried out a breathing exercise to calm themselves down or relax over the preceding 12 months.
On Orion’s self-care pharmacy website at Itsehoitoapteekki.fi, 341 people responded to the survey. Around 80% of the respondents were women. Of the respondents, 90% regularly wore a face mask.
World Asthma Day is observed annually in May to increase awareness globally. Finland is a global leader in the treatment of asthma, and Orion is the national leader in promoting research on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Orion supports World Asthma Day and is committed to increasing awareness. World Asthma Day is organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a collaborative organisation of the World Health Organization (WHO).
