The sympathetic nervous system, which helps your heart and other vital organs function all the time, increases activity in response to danger or stress, preparing the body for extra demands. Stress is ...

Understanding how your body works can be the key to reducing stress. For example, you’re probably aware of your fight-or-flight response—the body’s way of preparing itself when it believes it’s being ...

The term “sympathetic nervous system overload” sounds daunting, but the root cause is pedestrian: stress. Stress is, of course, something we all experience all the time, but left unchecked, it can ...

Why the "rest and digest" system is crucial for well-being Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD Stress seriously affects your body, mind, and ability to feel like yourself. While you might feel like ...

We are born with a biological survival system that is designed to respond to any environmental or psychological threat presented to us. Our nervous system is constantly processing information and ...

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) plays a crucial role in the regulation of cardiovascular function, mediating rapid adjustments in heart rate and arterial blood pressure during stress, physical ...

Cowritten by Sarah Sperber and Tchiki Davis. The fight or flight response is the perception of danger sets off an automatic response system, known as the fight-or-flight response that is activated ...

If you're like us, you go through your days feeling like there just aren't enough hours to get everything done. You hit the sack exhausted and then — irony of ironies — find yourself tossing and ...

‘Hummmmm,’ I sing to myself as I exhale loudly. Then I take a big breath in, feel my ribcage expand and hum again. Next, my hands gently stroke my jaw and chin, then float to my forehead for more ...

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is integral to the regulation of blood pressure, orchestrating rapid adjustments in vascular tone and heart rate to maintain homeostasis. By modulating peripheral ...

Every other Friday, the Outside/In team answers one listener question about the natural world. This week, Monica in West Hartford, CT asked, “We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘take a deep breath,’ and ...