Sometimes all you need to relax and calm down is to focus on taking deep breathes. Watch as Amber shows us some techniques for deep belly breathing.

About Your Lungs and Respiratory System

What’s something that you do all day, every day, no matter where you are or who you’re with?

(a) think about what’s for lunch tomorrow
(b) put your finger in your nose
(c) hum your favorite song
(d) breathe

It’s possible that some kids could say (a) or (c) or that others might even say — yikes! — (b). But every single person in the world has to say (d). Breathing air is necessary for keeping humans (and many animals) alive. And the two parts that are large and in charge when it comes to breathing? If you guessed your lungs, you’re right!

Your lungs make up one of the largest organs in your body, and they work with your respiratory system to allow you to take in fresh air, get rid of stale air, and even talk. Let’s take a tour of the lungs!

Callie shows some breathing techniques and ways to cope with Vocal Chord Dysfunction (VCD) and Stress. Callie’s VCD was a result of her asthma.

People who have asthma might cough or wheeze, two sounds that come from the lungs. Be sure to tell a parent or check with your doctor anytime your breathing is unusually noisy or you have trouble breathing. Learn more about asthma and the sounds, signs, and symptoms at the Asthma Center.

Callie talks about ways that she has learned to cope with stress. Her vocal chord dysfunction was significantly affected by her levels of stress. Listen to how she has learned to harness her stress levels.

Everybody gets stressed from time to time. Different people feel stress in different ways. Some ways of dealing with stress — like screaming, hitting someone, or punching a wall — don’t solve much. But other ways, like talking to someone you trust, can start you on the road to solving your problem or at least feeling better. Also, try taking these five steps the next time you are stressed.