Why does taking deep breaths help ease stress and anxiety?
In: Biology
When we are anxious, our sympathetic or “fight or flight” nervous system kicks in causing our heart rate to rise, adrenaline to be secreted, the digestive system to halt, our pupils to dilate, blood to be rushed to our extremities, etc. Deep breathing triggers our parasympathetic or “calming” nervous system, which is responsible for reversing the effects of the sympathetic nervous system.
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