Your BOLT score
Matthew • 3 December 2025
How well do you breathe?
If you knew your body was operating on half the oxygen it could be using… wouldn’t you want to fix that?
Your BOLT score is the quickest way to see whether your breathing is helping you—or holding you back.
The BOLT test is a simple test to find out how much carbon dioxide you can tolerate in your system. The higher the amount, the more efficient you’re breathing and the efficient you can be with the oxygen you take in.
More oxygen means more energy, clearer thinking, and a nervous system that responds instead of panicking. It also means better sleep, better stamina, and the ability to regulate your mood with far less effort.
To do the BOLT test do the following:
- Find a stopwatch app on your phone and zero it.
- Sit or lie in a quiet place where you won’t be distracted.
- Breathe normally for a few minutes.
- Breathe out normally (don’t empty your lungs), then close your mouth and hold your nose to stop yourself breathing.
- Start the stopwatch.
- When you get a definite urge to breathe (it may feel like your throat grabbing you, your diaphragm pushing, or a strong urge to swallow), stop the stop watch and then allow yourself to breathe as normally.
Note - this is not a test to see how long you can hold your breath - it’s a test to see how long you can last without wanting to breathe.
Do this two or three times (resting with normal breathing in-between) to make sure you have an average result.
What your results tell you:
Under ten seconds: you have a very inefficient respiratory system. You probably sigh and yawn a lot during the day as your body can’t cope with even small amounts of carbon dioxide. (Be careful, there may be medical reasons for this such as asthma or bronchitis. You may want to get yourself checked out by a doctor.)
10-20 seconds: This is ‘normal’, but normal isn’t good. You’re able to tolerate a bit of carbon dioxide in your system, but you’re not very efficient at breathing. You might experience breathlessness during exercise (or sex) more than others, and you might have breathing difficulties.
20-30 seconds: This is good. You’re getting a load of energy out of the oxygen that you breathe in and you’re able to cope with a fair bit of carbon dioxide. You can go for a while in the gym, in bed, or dancing to Kylie without getting out of breath.
Over 30 seconds: You’re probably an athlete. Your breathing is excellent. Well done.
Improving your Breathing
Most of us could do with improving our breathing. The BOLT test is a really crude measure of how good we breathe, but there are lots of other elements to suggest.
There are two main reasons for improving breathing:
1) We become more efficient at breathing, so we’re out of breath less, able to think more clearly, and sleep better.
2) We can learn how to regulate our mood with our breath alone… pulling us up when we need more energy, or calming us down when we’re stressed, angry or overwhelmed.
How do you improve?
You could do an online course on breathing, that would be fine, but it wouldn’t give you direct, in-person feedback you need to really understand your breathing as it is, and how to improve it. And you wouldn’t be able to ask questions like “What does cigar smoking do for my breathing?” “How do poppers affect the lungs?” and “Where does breath control fit into all of this?”
For that, and to learn with a load of like-minded people in a totally kink-aware, LGBTQ+ affirming space, you’ll need to come to our breathwork workshops. Take a look at the Workshops
page of this site to find out when the next one is!
Christmas alone? Hanukah with the homophobes? Kwanzaa with people who judge you? New Years separated from your loved ones? As we move into the holiday season, many people find this time more emotionally demanding than expected. Even when things look festive on the outside, what’s happening inside can be very different — stress, pressure, loneliness, old family dynamics, or complicated feelings can all surface. If this season feels heavy or overwhelming, please know you’re not alone. To help you stay grounded, here are a few simple practices from our counsellor, Paul, which you may find find supportive: Keep things manageable Give yourself permission to reduce pressure and expectations and do what YOU want. You don’t need to do everything, attend everything, or feel a certain way. Choosing what truly matters to you, and gently letting go of what doesn’t, can dramatically reduce stress. Allow your emotions to exist Tough feelings don’t mean you’re doing something wrong. They are valid responses to a demanding time of year, and they are telling you something. Try to name what you're feeling (“I’m tired,” “I feel disconnected,” “I’m anxious about X”). Naming emotions often softens their intensity. Create small moments to breathe Even 1–2 minutes of slow breathing can help your nervous system settle. A simple practice: breathe in for 4 seconds, out for 6. Repeat a few times. It signals safety and reduces overwhelm. Reach out when you need support Whether it’s a friend, a safe person, or one of us at Consciously Kinky, staying connected can make a big difference. A message, a brief check-in, or a shared moment of honesty, or simply unpacking what is going on in our minds can ease feelings of isolation. Don’t forget, we also offer WhatsApp counselling, so even when you’re at home with your parents and paper thin walls, we can help. Set boundaries where needed If certain situations, conversations, or people drain you, it’s okay to step back, excuse yourself, or limit time spent there. Boundaries protect your energy, not your distance from others. At Consciously Kinky, both of us (Matthew and Paul) are here if you need a caring, non-judgemental space during this period. Whether it’s emotional support, a listening ear, or some grounding guidance, you’re welcome to reach out. All parts of your life — identity, desires, struggles, and hopes — are embraced here without judgement. We’re fully kink-aware and LGBTQ+ affirming.
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