Stress is, well, stressful. The human body has several involuntary reactions to stress, which you may or may not notice when you're experiencing them. Your body releases adrenaline, which increases your heart rate, your muscles tighten, and your breath becomes shallower. If you regain control of your body's reaction to stress, you'll feel better and be better equipped to make good decisions. You can't instantly slow down your heart rate, or instantly relax all of your muscles, so where do you start? Taking control of the simplest aspect - your breathing - can make a big difference and bring the rest of your body's reactions into line.

Right now, practice taking a breath as you normally would. If you're like most people, the breath isn't very deep. Now, practice taking a deep breath. Blow a breath out completely, then breathe in slowly and deeply with the goal of expanding your upper stomach as you breathe. Then blow this breath out completely. This type of breath uses more of your lung capacity; normal, shallower breathing only uses a smaller portion of your lungs. During the rest of the day and beyond, practice being mindful of your breathing. When individuals practice yoga or meditation, "being mindful" means that you pay close attention to your breathing and body, and adjust your breath as needed to make it deeper and more relaxing. A deeper and more controlled breath will help to lower your heart rate and reduce muscle tension.

Watching your breath is the easiest thing you can do to reduce your stress and improve your health. If your breathing is shallow, your body thinks something is wrong, and your breathing can become shallow because you're stressed out. It's a vicious cycle that you can break by being mindful of your breath, and taking deeper, more efficient breaths when you notice your breathing becoming shallow. After a while, you'll breathe better without even trying. And when you're stressed out, a quick reminder to breathe more deeply will suffice. So if you're feeling stressed out, breathe more deeply and reap the benefits.