Chronic stress floods the brain with powerful hormones that are meant for short-term emergency situations. This can cause damage to your brain, narrowing your ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life. Simply taking a few deep breaths over the course of your day can reduce your stress and help the brain and body to check in. Breathing in allows the brain to scan the body and find areas of stress or tension, and help to prevent health issues from arising. Breathing out can help you let go of the day-to-day issues that bring up those chronic stress situations.