Five Breathing Exercises That Actually Help You Feel Calmer

Taking a deep breath to calm down feels too simple of a tactic to actually work. Yet there is a reason every mental health professional recommends trying this: It is effective. When you are feeling stressed and anxious, controlling your breathing through breath work practices might actually help you feel a bit calmer — and there exists science to support that.

Psychological stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the body's fight-or-flight response. As a result, when you’re feeling anxious, scared, overwhelmed or otherwise stressed, you might notice physical changes such as faster breathing, an increase in your heart rate, feeling on edge and muscle tension.

Focusing on controlling your breathing — particularly slowing it down — kicks the parasympathetic nervous system into gear, said Kristin Szuhany, a clinical psychologist at NYU Langone. Often referred to as the body's "rest and digest" state, the parasympathetic nervous system helps relax the body, thereby counteracting the physical effects of the stress response.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.