Can you exhale your worries?

Can you exhale your worries?

How does breathing influence mood? One theory suggests it redirects focus from negative thoughts. Research indicates that consciously slowing down breath can enhance heart-rate variability, which tends to be low in individuals with psychiatric conditions like depression and ADHD. Increasing this variability is believed to have positive effects.

Evidence also points to a shared brain circuitry for slow breathing and stress regulation in rodents. A study published in Nature Neuroscience (November 2024) found that activating pathways for slow breathing in mice reduced their anxiety behaviors.

Source: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/01/17/can-you-breathe-stress-away