While the most annoying thing you can hear in the middle of experiencing stress or anxiety may be “just breathe,” there’s an equally annoying amount of evidence to suggest that’s where we should in fact focus – not just in moments of stress, but in any situations where we want to have more control.

We often think of our hearts as the main organ keeping our body in function, but our breathing is actually what controls our heart. When you breathe in, your heart rate slightly increases. When you breathe out, your heart rate slightly decreases. This is also why/how your heart rate changes while you exercise.