Mewing is one of those trends you stumble upon on TikTok, thinking to yourself, “no way this works”! But, once you see all those creators with jawlines you could grate cheese on, you realize there might be some truth there, after all.
Nonetheless, mewing isn’t some magic pill. You must do the mewing exercise correctly to reap the benefits, including learning how to swallow properly.
In this in-depth guide, you’ll read about:
- 📑How to manage swallowing difficulties. We’ve listed the most common reasons people struggle with swallowing and a few tips on overcoming them.
- 📌How to swallow correctly. Here, you’ll find a list of the steps to master the swallowing technique and a few side effects of not doing the steps correctly.
- 🩹For those struggling with swallowing in general, we’ve listed tips and tricks to introduce to your daily routine to better swallow.
4 Reasons Why You Can’t Swallow While Mewing
Swallowing can make or break the process of achieving a chiseled jawline, and if not done correctly, it will affect your facial look over time—just not in the way you’d like. It’s a fact that many people don’t see any jawline improvement and even have negative results due to incorrect swallowing while mewing.
On the other hand, some people state that they can’t swallow at all while mewing. This is one of the tell-tale signs you’re doing mewing wrong.
We’ve gathered a list of the most common reasons that prevent people from swallowing while mewing:
1. Incorrect Tongue Posture
Here’s a fact: Almost 85% of adults that swallow incorrectly are still using the infant mechanism of sucking.
More specifically, we can split swallowing into two actions—the conscious action within our mouths that we initiate and the subconscious action in our throats that we can’t control.
If you’re wondering what the infant swallowing action has to do with incorrect swallowing, it’s actually the improper tongue position.
To ensure you’re maintaining a correct tongue posture, Dr. Mike Mew recommends keeping your tongue firmly on the roof of your mouth and trying to initiate the swallowing action. Make sure you’re engaging your entire tongue, not just the tip.
To keep the tip of your tongue in the right position, glide over your front teeth with it, and place it right in the middle.
Whether you’re new to swallowing or still learning to do it right, we’ve made a guide about how to do mewing correctly. Here you can find tips about maintaining a correct tongue posture and a bunch of other helpful advice for mewing.
2. Insufficient Saliva
Many people report struggling with swallowing due to insufficient amounts of fluid in their mouths.
As much as this is correct, many experts actually state that if you mew correctly, you shouldn’t struggle with generating saliva in your mouth.
Lack of saliva can result from an incorrect tongue posture. Letting your entire tongue rest against the roof of your palate and pushing in the right place will let your glands produce enough saliva so you can swallow without any issues.
3. Incorrect Body Posture
Not keeping a correct body posture can greatly impact the entire mewing process. Not only will it prevent proper swallowing, but it will also negatively impact your breathing, chewing, and mewing in general.
So, the next time you decide to practice mewing, make sure you start only after fixing your posture by standing up straight and throwing your shoulders back.
4. Medical Conditions
Some people dealing with medical conditions such as dysphagia might have trouble swallowing. If you have any type of medical condition that might be preventing you from swallowing, we suggest you consult your doctor before doing any mewing activities.
How to Swallow While Mewing: 6 Easy Steps
Correct swallowing is the key to mewing and achieving a bone structure to die for. However, many people still struggle to swallow due to the list of reasons we stated above.
So, whether you can’t swallow while mewing, or you just want to learn to do it the right way, keep reading. We’ve made a list of tips that might help you improve your swallowing technique and reap the benefits of mewing:
1. Try to Make the “N” Sound
We already learned that swallowing is impossible if you’re not maintaining the right tongue position.
To do so, Dr. Mike Mew says that saying the letter “N” might help you get the correct tongue position.
While you’re doing this, you’ll notice that your tongue is reaching up your palate and pushing against the roof of your mouth.
However, keep in mind that practice makes perfect. After a while, you will notice that your tongue will eventually get used to moving around and settling in the right position, allowing you to swallow without any issues.
Once you master the “N” technique, you can take swallowing to the next level by trying to get the right posture without saying the “N” letter.
2. Raise Your Tongue
After you learn how to keep your tongue in the correct position, the next step of the process is swallowing. And as much as many people find this step the hardest, you can master it quickly by implementing a couple of techniques.
For instance, you can practice swallowing deeply while keeping your tongue at the roof of your mouth. You’ll notice your tongue moving up against your palate as you practice.
However, it’s good to know that most people get stuck during this step because they make the mistake of sucking instead of swallowing. You can avoid this by consistently keeping your tongue posture in the right position.
3. Learn How to Chew
Chewing correctly is equally important as swallowing. In fact, these two processes complement each other, and mewing isn’t possible without doing them both correctly.
So, in order to chew food correctly, you need to engage both sides of your jaw and your teeth equally.
Also, make sure you’re chewing by using your tongue to move the food around your mouth. Many people make the mistake of “chewing” with their cheek muscles instead of their tongue, which leads to incorrect mewing.
Also, the food should be chewed until it becomes a paste. If you’re new to mewing, you can use sugar-free gum instead of food to ease the process additionally. We recommend reading our guide about how to eat and drink while mewing, where you can find a couple more tips for correct chewing.
4. Improve Your Breathing
Some common mewing mistakes, such as incorrect breathing, won’t only hinder the swallowing action but will also prevent you from mewing the correct way.
For instance, if you’re mouth breathing instead of through your nose, you may be prevented from swallowing and mewing correctly. On the other hand, dealing with several medical conditions or physical obstructions may also prevent people from breathing through the nose and implementing the right swallowing techniques.
The takeaway? Before you start implementing swallowing techniques, it’s essential to implement the process of nasal breathing.
If you’re new to mewing, take a look at our guide that will teach you how to breathe while mewing and a few other useful tips and facts.
5. Don’t Swallow Too Hard
Hard swallowing (also called hard mewing) is undoubtedly one of the most common mewing mistakes.
When you swallow too hard, your body is forced to produce more saliva, making you swallow even harder. This can bring many negative results, such as overworking your tongue muscle, causing tension in your jawline, and, worst case, sagging your skin.
Instead, you should focus on soft mewing. If you’re unsure how to do this, you can practice mewing in front of a mirror and notice your movements. While you swallow, you should move your tongue and see little to no movement in your facial expression, neck, and shoulders.
6. Don’t Quit Practicing
It’s amazing how many people quit mewing because they can’t master the correct swallowing technique. If you’re about to do this too, remember that proper mewing can be a complex process requiring a lot of time and effort to learn each step and merge them together in the mewing act.
For instance, you can utilize technology to help you learn proper swallowing. Setting reminders on your smartphone may be a good idea as it’ll remind you to hold your tongue in the right position until it grows into a habit.
Mewing isn’t a one-day process, and you won’t be able to see any changes within at least a month. But once swallowing, chewing, and breathing become a “no-brainer” for you, you’ll notice that you’re mewing naturally without putting in effort and eventually start seeing changes in your facial appearance.
What Should Swallowing Feel Like?
Swallowing is a huge part of the mewing process and should feel natural.
When we’re talking about the mewing process itself, feeling a slight pressure on your face is a sign that you’re doing it right. This is because you’re keeping your tongue firmly pressed against the roof of your mouth.
Talking about the tongue, you’ll notice it putting a little pressure on the roof of your mouth while swallowing. You should also feel your thyroid rise with each swallow you make.
However, keep in mind that if anything you’re doing puts too much pressure on your muscles or feels too uncomfortable, you’re doing something wrong. Swallowing shouldn’t feel painful or overwhelming for your facial muscles and organs.
5 Tips to Better Swallowing in General
According to research, 1 out of 25 adults deal with swallowing issues, regardless of the reason or cause. This won’t only obstruct your mewing but may also be detrimental to your social life, as well as your mental and physical health.
While this doesn’t mean you should run to the doctor, there are still a couple of things you can do to improve your swallowing.
We’ve gathered a list of a couple of them you might want to know:
1. Beware of Your Posture While Eating
Maintaining a good posture doesn’t only apply to mewing. On the contrary, keeping your body in a proper posture might help you improve your swallowing in general.
For instance, to regulate your posture while sitting, make sure you’re sitting upright with your feet on the floor instead of tilted back or slumped on the side.
If you’re suffering from a condition that imposes taking your meal in bed, make sure you’re sitting as upright as possible. You can prop pillows behind your head to make sure you’re keeping it straight.
Also, remember that you should remain upright for around an hour after taking your meal. This is essential to help the food “move” inside and reach your stomach and prevent aspiration and reflux in the future.
2. Choose Foods Easy to Swallow
When having issues with swallowing, experts advise avoiding foods that are hard to swallow. This includes coarse foods that are less likely to soften and dilute while chewing, as well as sharp, crunchy, spicy, and acidic food.
Instead, it’s recommended to go for “easily digestible” foods. For instance, breakfast dishes such as oatmeal, cereals, and pancakes softened in milk may be a good choice for those struggling with swallowing.
Creamy and soft foods such as cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, smoothies, puddings, and other options that are easy to chew and swallow are also recommended.
3. Shift Your Focus to Swallowing
While eating and drinking are often associated with social events, this can be an issue for those who struggle with swallowing. So, don’t force yourself to do multiple things at once. Instead, focus on swallowing only.
Even though this sometimes means taking a break from a conversation or skipping a social event or two, it’s important to focus on one thing at a time, so you can improve your swallowing over time.
4. Get Involved in the Process
Mewing correctly entails immersing yourself in the process, which will ultimately help you overcome your issue easier.
For instance, if you’re the one struggling with swallowing, get involved in the cooking process as much as possible. If you’re a caregiver, involve the one who struggles. The foods and the prepping might help awaken your appetite and stimulate saliva flow.
Also, make sure to take your time while eating. Take small bites, and chew them properly until reaching a soft consistency that is easier to swallow. Clear your throat with a gentle cough between swallows to ensure there isn’t a food residue.
Don’t be afraid to pay attention to every aspect of the issue. Taking time to work through the steps will help you overcome them more easily.
5. Make Swallowing Exercises
Exercising your lips, cheeks, larynx, facial, and tongue muscles is one of the most recommended practices for overcoming swallowing difficulties.
On top of this, you can try various swallowing exercises at home. Each one focuses on different benefits, such as strengthening your muscles, improving coordination between muscles and nerves, and improving your swallowing ability and control in general.
However, we recommend consulting your doctor before trying to do any swallowing exercises. It’s always better to get professional guidance and advice about the best practices for treating specific conditions.
Conclusion
Swallowing is an inevitable part of the mewing process and can make or break your entire facial posture. And while many people swallow incorrectly, it’s even more astounding how many people can’t swallow at all.
Mewing Coach is an app designed to help you master the mewing technique and all the necessary steps—including swallowing. With our custom approach, educative content, and personalized training program, you’ll be able to sculpt your facial structure into the desired look in no time.
