Slow Breathing Can Rewire Your Brain and Change the Choices You Make
4 hours ago
- #decision-making
- #neurovisceral
- #breathing
- Extended exhalation increases reward sensitivity and heart rate variability, leading to more bold decision-making.
- A study by German researchers shows that consciously controlling breathing can influence decisions by affecting heart and brain activity.
- Slow breathing with prolonged exhalation makes participants more responsive to rewards, encouraging riskier choices.
- The findings link brain regions like the ventromedial prefrontal cortex to regulating heart rate variability and reward sensitivity.
- Breathing techniques offer a simple, nonpharmacological tool for self-regulation and potential clinical applications in anxiety and depression.