Working Well: The simple act of taking deep breaths can reduce stress and anxiety

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Deep breathing can be a simple and effective way to reduce stress. But many people don’t think about how they’re inhaling and exhaling at work. Maybe they should. The American Heart Association says chronic, unmanaged stress increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, and can be as harmful to health as secondhand smoke. That’s a reason to remember to pause to take deep breaths or to learn a new breathing technique. Studies show that daily deep-breathing exercises can lower a person’s blood pressure and reduce anxiety. Other benefits: deep breathing is free, can be done anywhere and only requires a minute or two to help calm racing thoughts, according to experts.