Manage Stress & Take Charge of Your Emotions!

 

Our minds and bodies are intimately connected. A change in our thinking and/or feeling will result in changes in the body’s physical responses and vice versa. One of the ways we can see this mind-body connection is in the changing patterns of the heart rhythm. Scientific studies provide new insights to the mind-body connection and how one useful “window” into the functioning of the nervous system is reflected in the amount of variability and the pattern of our heart rhythm. Our heart and brain communicate regularly all day and night, and influence each other’s functions. Stress and emotional states are reflected in certain heart rhythm patterns. Your heart beat is speeding up and slowing down all the time. It can speed up and slow down in a disorganised, chaotic pattern (called “incoherence” as you see in the left graph) or in an organised, predictable, rhythmic pattern (called “coherence” as you see in the right graph).

Heart Rhythm Patterns, Stress and Emotions

 

• When we’re stressed and/or experiencing depleting emotions such as anxiety, anger, worry or frustration, the heart rate variability pattern is incoherent. Renewing, positive emotions create a more coherent heart rate pattern. Emotional self-regulation is the key to balance, health and empowerment.
• The emotions associated with stress—anxiety, anger, worry, frustration, fear, sadness—can deplete our energy. Renewing emotions—such as appreciation, love, care, compassion, and joy- can help to recharge our batteries and support a health-promoting coherent response to counteract stress.
• As a bonus, when our heart rhythm pattern is “coherent” it supports optimal function of our brain enhancing focus, cognitive efficiency, task performance, and helping us to better access the intuitive intelligence we all have!
• We can all learn to effectively self-regulate stress and emotional reactions both “in-the moment” and over the long–term, by practicing HeartMath® “coherence building” techniques. In addition, HeartMath technologies are also available to help us see the changes in our heart rhythm pattern in real time wherever we work, go to school, play and live. This enhances the learning process and makes practicing the coherence building techniques more fun and effective.