do you find it hard to breath when listening to music with earphones?

I was in the lift the other day when I noticed it for the first time, I had my earbuds on and listening to music on the way back home.

The lift was taking longer than usual, it lift was stopping on every single floor and new people who were back from work coming in, soon there was not much room left in the lift. While most of them were looking at their phones and going out one by one, I felt it hard to breath, as if I was unconsciously holding my breath.

Being breathless was enough to make me anxious and then again that was making me harder to breath. I felt like I am making so much noise as I breath. Like when you struggle to breath in & out with a blocked nose.

When I finally got out of the lift I took a big breath in, as if I was holing my breath underwater in the pool.

Long story short I didn’t follow up with that event, and it didn’t really came back till today. The office was a bit quieter, I think it’s because it was before lunch time and everyone was hungry.

I had my earbuds on, but I wasn’t listening to anything out loud, in a moment I realised that I can actually hear my own breath, and it was getting slower and I am trying to control it.

It was resembling what exactly happened to me that day in the lift. I immediately looked it up online & as expected, I was not the first who experienced this.

There are multiple threads in Quora that individuals were looking for a reason that they feel breathless or breathing heavily when listening to music, especially with earphones.

some of the responders relate this to using a specific type of headphone/earphone and suggesting that when they switch to another the problem went away. but overall I believe this has nothing to do with the music.

someone else was suggesting that it’s because the songs were expressing that kind of feeling, he/she was comparing it with how some songs makes him/her cry! Ironic, isn’t it?

being disappointed at what people are suggesting out online, I came to the conclusion that this experience has direct connection to the fear of being observed by people. You can definitely feel the glimpses of social anxiety in this matter, just like how one can be feeling anxious in a crowded place. The idea of people looking at you & the thoughts in their mind about you.

Whats worse is that if you give into it & breath slower it will only make you feel worsen, the lack of oxygen will definitely have its negative effects such as dizziness.

What do I think is the solution to this? Volume up! Seriously, increase the volume of your song. it’s only you who is hearing the sound of your breath, you will not be making any more unpleasant noise when listening to music as you normally do!

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2 comments

  1. hey man this is late but i have severe anxiety among people and sociophobia i experience this exact thing every time i am in public, it is amplified when i have headphones on because i think i might not hear myself and am too loud :< thanks for sharing, it feels good to know that other people expierience this too

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