How to Stop Yourself from Yawning

Yawning is believed to be caused when a person is bored or uninterested with what is happening around him. Well, let me tell you, this is a myth! There are many "supposed" reasons behind why a person yawns, yet, till date, it has not been clearly established as to what causes a yawn. Some scientific researches say that yawning is caused due to lack of oxygen in the body. While some studies show that yawning is a reflex action used by the body to cool off the temperature of the brain. Then, there are studies which proclaim that there are some "mirror neurons" in the brain, due to the presence of which when we see another person yawn, we tend to yawn too! If you want to go by the social theories, they say that yawning was a kind of non-verbal communication used by people in olden times, to convey that they want to change the activities that are going on!

As you can see, there are numerous reasons behind why people yawn. Still, if you are sitting for an interview or making a presentation in your office, if you yawn, it would make others feel that you are not energetic enough, you are bored and that you are not being a professional! That's why, it is important that you should know some measures which would help you to stop yawning.

Keep Your Mouth Closed
In order to suppress a yawn, keep your mouth closed. Even if the pressure builds around your jaws and you feel air inside your mouth, try to swallow it! If you do not open your mouth, the yawn will automatically get suppressed.

Eat Right
Do not take a heavy meal, especially in the afternoons. When the body tries to digest a heavy meal, it often makes a person feel tired, resulting in excessive yawning. Also, eat only healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats and cut down on fast foods, high-sugar and fatty foods. By doing this, you will be able to curb the tendency to yawn.

Sip on Water
It is generally seen that a person tends to yawn a lot more when he is dehydrated and fatigued. So, if you are experiencing excessive yawning, sip on water. Whenever you feel the urge to yawn, take a sip. This will suppress the yawn, and at the same time, hydrate your body, reducing any kind of tiredness that you might be feeling due to lack of water.

Sleep Well
Make it a point to get seven to eight hours of sleep in the night. If you have not slept properly in the night, it can cause fatigue in the morning, resulting in excessive yawning throughout the day! So, take adequate rest and sleep to avoid yawning.

Breathe Deeply
One of the causes behind excessive yawning is when the carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs. Yawning is a reaction caused by the body to let out this excessive carbon dioxide. So, take a few deep breaths, whenever you feel that you are yawning in excess.

Get Some Fresh Air
Some researches show that a person tends to yawn in excess when his brain is overheated. Yawning is a mechanism employed by the body to cool the brain off. So, if you get some fresh air, by either taking a walk early morning or by breathing in deeply through the nose, the brain will get cooled and the body would not have to yawn anymore.

Exercise
Make a habit of exercising everyday. Exercising daily boosts up the energy levels of the body and thus, reduces tiredness and fatigue, which can often cause yawning in a person.

Maintain the Right Posture
According to some studies, when a person remains in a slouched position for a long time, it puts added pressure on the lungs. The body releases this pressure by yawning. So, by maintaining a proper, upright posture, a person can avoid yawning too much.

Cover Your Mouth
If nothing works and you want to make your yawn not so obvious to others, use your hands to cover your mouth. It won't stop your yawning, but it will definitely hide it and save you from embarrassment!

In most cases, yawning is harmless. However, sometimes, excessive yawning can be caused by health conditions and diseases such as brain tumor, epilepsy, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, sleep apnea, amongst others. So, if the excessive yawning continues even after taking all these measures, consult a doctor for proper diagnoses.