How to Actively Exhale to Ease Anxiety and Slow Your Heart Rate
When we inhale, our diaphragm moves down, making more room for our heart to expand and increase in volume. When this happens, our brain sends a signal to our heart to speed up.
The opposite happens when we actively exhale. The diaphragm moves up and the heart reduces in volume, causing the blood inside of it to move more quickly, and as a result, the brain sends a signal to slow the heart rate down.
If you’re feeling anxious or like you need to slow down that racing feeling in your body or mind, you can shift your nervous system from your flight and fight (sympathetic) into your rest and digest (parasympathetic).
Take 5-10 deep inhales followed by active exhales.
Watch the video below for guided instructions from Gillian on this breathing exercise.
