Although science has not yet understood exactly why we yawn, we do know that this habit performs some important functions: it cools the brain, prevents the eardrums from bursting, and also helps us bond with the people around us. If you want to yawn, you usually just need to see another person yawn. You can also try opening your mouth wide or other tricks to make yawning easier.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Prepare the Body to Yawn
Step 1. Think about yawning
Simply thinking about this gesture can lead you to do it. To start, imagine doing it. Look at the word "yawn" and think about the good feeling it gives you a big deep yawn.
Step 2. Open your mouth wide
Imagine yawning, even if you don't hear a yawn coming yet. Open your mouth as much as possible. Sometimes, taking the right position can be enough to provoke a yawn.
Step 3. Contract the muscles in the back of your throat
We contract these muscles naturally when we yawn. Repeating that movement can stimulate the body to produce a true yawn. The brain can connect the contraction of those muscles with the action you wish to provoke.
Step 4. Inhale deeply from the mouth
Just like you would for a real yawn, inhale through your mouth. Take a nice deep, slow breath instead of a quick shallow one, because true yawns allow a lot of air to get into your lungs.
Step 5. Hold the pose until you hear a yawn coming
By keeping your mouth and throat in the right position, you are likely to yawn. Your body will naturally try to yawn if you keep your mouth open, contract your throat slightly, and inhale deeply. After these attempts, if you are still unsuccessful, try the next method.
Method 2 of 3: Watching Other People Yawn
Step 1. Hang out with yawning relatives or friends
You probably already know that yawns are very contagious. When we see someone yawning, we often do too. This need is most common with people we know well, such as relatives, friends or classmates. If you really need to yawn, look for someone you know who is already doing it.
- Scientifically, yawning is hypothesized to help synchronize the actions of a social group. This could explain why 50% of people imitate the yawns of others, especially if they know them well.
- Yawning is so contagious that even reading an article on the subject can lead you to do this.
Step 2. Ask a person you know to pretend to yawn
If no one is yawning at the moment, ask a relative or friend to pretend. Simply observing the movement of a yawn, even if it's not real, can trigger your body's reaction.
Step 3. Look for strangers who yawn
While yawns are less contagious among strangers, they are still more mildly contagious. If you are in a public place and you don't know anyone, look for someone who yawns. Hopefully, it will lead you to do the same.
Step 4. Watch videos of people yawning
If you are alone and can't watch anyone, search for "yawn" on YouTube and watch a video of a person yawning. It will have the same effect as observing a stranger in person. An image can also work.
Step 5. Try watching an animal yawn
Yawns are contagious even between humans and animals. As a fun experiment, try watching your cat or dog yawn and see if you feel the need to do it too. You can also watch videos of animals of other species yawning. Studies have shown that almost all animals do this.
Method 3 of 3: Creating the Right Environment for Yawning
Step 1. Go to a warm room
People yawn more often in the heat than in the cold. According to some studies, this appears to happen because yawning brings cooler air into the body and helps cool the brain when it is about to overheat. Some research has shown that people yawn less in winter or in cold rooms. Conversely, if you're trying to get your work done and can't stop yawning, try lowering the room temperature slightly. You should quickly stop yawning.
Step 2. Make yourself comfortable
We have a tendency to yawn more in the morning because the brain is slightly warmer at night. This habit allows us to cool off when we wake up. If you want to yawn, try to get back to bed, get under the covers and warm up. You will yawn before you know it.
Step 3. Increase your stress level
Stress and anxiety cause the brain's temperature to rise, which yawning helps to reduce. That's why Olympic athletes happen to yawn before competitions. Paratroopers and other extreme sports practitioners also do it before jumping. By increasing tension, you can stimulate yawns that try to cool the brain.
Advice
- In public places, cover your mouth when yawning - it's good manners.
- Try to get the feeling that your nose is itchy, then open your mouth wide. Sooner or later, you will yawn.
- Keep thinking or saying "yawn".
- Slowly open your mouth into a yawning position, then take short breaths.
