I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding…

As far as the topic of this post, the title says it all.

Variations of this sentence get a lot of attention from readers on social media in the book community. I notice them a lot while scrolling through goodreads, looking at updates. Someone will post something like “Even __________ isn’t immune to the use of this sentence” or “I can’t believe that ____________ used this sentence!” or “How can you not realize you’re holding a breath? Why do writers think this makes sense?”

I think you get the idea. If you haven’t seen them, just wait. They crop up fairly regularly. And just like anything else, once it’s been pointed out to you, you notice it all the time. So if you hadn’t noticed it before reading this post, you probably will soon.

Now let me tell you why I think these sentences make sense and are ok to use.

As a horseback rider, I can’t tell you how many times I have been told by an instructor or friend not to forget to breathe. While riding, particularly in horse shows, this reminder was part of my silent mantra to myself while in the arena. Because I needed the reminder. It wasn’t that I was purposely not breathing, it’s just that in the moment my nerves or concentration or some other factor was taking precedence over this basic function. Sure, our body wouldn’t let us continue this for a prolonged period of time (we would faint before anything else happened), but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

Horseback riding is just one concrete example I can personally think of where I have noticed this behavior in myself. I have many others. I’ll list a few.

While carrying heavy objects I tend to hold my breath unconsciously. My rational brain knows that this is just making the task more difficult, but for some reason I have to remind myself that holding my breath is a hindrance and not a help. I often catch myself with a held breath during any form of physical exertion, and rarely have I done it on purpose.

Just now, while writing this post, I got so caught up in what I was doing that it took me a few seconds to realize that, you guessed it, I was holding in a breath.

When I’m reading a particularly exciting part of a book, or watching an exciting/scary part of a movie, I catch myself holding in an unconscious breath all the time.

As someone with anxiety, I also notice this in situations when I’m starting to panic. Not only will breaths become short, they may cease altogether. I’ve gotten to the point when this happens that I tell myself, out loud, that I need to breathe. If I’m using my voice, I have to breathe, so it actually helps in some situations.

There are other instances I could highlight where I find myself releasing a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, but I think the ones I have mentioned are enough to get my point across: I don’t mind this sentence because it’s real. I have firsthand experience with this sensation, so it’s only natural to expect it to show up in the books that I read and write.

So why do readers think that these sentences don’t make sense or aren’t realistic? I can’t be the only one who experiences this. I would love to discuss this further, so comment and let me know your thoughts on this topic.