I don’t want to increase anybody’s anxiety, but a recent study found that people with high levels of anxiety were rated less positively by conversation partners. To add insult to injury, conversation partners have a reduced desire for future interactions with people with social anxiety disorder. Before you slump into defeat, let’s get to the bottom of this, then look at some practical solutions.

Learn what happens in the brain and body as you feel stress and anxiety, the emotions behind stress, and a simple technique to prevent or reduce the body’s response to stress. In this post there are three versions of a follow-along slow breathing exercise, which slows the heart rate and reins in other autonomic processes, so you can regain control and tackle life’s challenges.