Notes from the Counseling Department

It's October and we're just starting to get into the groove of the school year.  With that settling in, however, comes some predictable anxiety.  Maybe it's anxiety about a test or presentation or about a conversation we anticipate will be difficult.  Often the advice we're given is to "just breathe."  It's good advice but do you know why?  Our body's goal, at the core, is to survive. It's why so much of how our bodies function are not things we consciously control. One such part is the  autonomic nervous system , which regulates body functions such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion. The autonomic nervous system has two main parts: the  sympathetic nervous system  and the  parasympathetic nervous system , which are responsible for carrying out daily activities (such as digestion) and protecting us when we sense a threat. They are both always active systems but each can be activated to "take over" as needed. When our bodies sense a t