A Letter to My Younger Self | When Air Hunger Wasn’t “Just Anxiety”

<p><br></p><p>Abby Stewart was sitting on the edge of her bed, desperate to take a satisfying breath.</p><p>Her chest felt tight. She was constantly yawning, sighing and trying to pull in more air — but the next breath never felt like enough. Her tests were normal, and she was told it was probably anxiety.</p><p>This is the letter Abby wrote to that younger version of herself, reflecting on the years that followed: discovering breathing pattern disorder, learning that her air hunger was real, retraining her breathing and eventually becoming a Senior Respiratory Physiotherapist and PhD candidate researching breathing pattern disorder.</p><p>It’s a story about the experience of feeling frightened by your own breathing — and how something Abby once wanted to hide ultimately became the reason she now helps others understand theirs.</p><p>Thank you to Abby Stewart, @thebreathingphysio, for trusting me with this letter and sharing such an important part of her story.</p><p>Find Abby at @thebreathingphysio and learn more about her work with breathing pattern disorder and air hunger.</p><p>🎧 Listen to The Letterbox Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.</p><p>💌 Have a letter of your own? Send it to <strong>theletterboxpodcast@outlook.com</strong> or DM me. Letters can be about anything, to anyone — and can be anonymous if you’d prefer.</p>