Mental health and emotional wellbeing involves more than our brain
"The heart plays a key role in our emotional and mental health."
Is our emotional and mental health just about our brain?
No, as a HeartMath article points out:
“Traditionally, when people refer to mental health, they tend to focus on the brain.
“However, we now know that the heart plays a key role in our emotional and mental health.
“The term “mental health” includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
“All of these areas affect how we think, feel, and act and help determine how well we’re able to handle stressful challenges and events, make decisions, and maintain healthy relationships.”
The article adds,
“Today, we’re witnessing a growing interest in this area, with numerous researchers exploring the effects of heart coherence on individuals suffering from mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, and many other areas, as evidenced by the thousands of published research studies available on Google Scholar.
“This recognition of heart coherence is a hopeful development in the world of mental health and emotional self-regulation.”
From article “The Power of Heart Coherence in Mental Health” on the HeartMath site, providing tools, article, webinars and more for emotional wellbeing.
Heart rate variability (HRV)
Another HeartMath article notes the company "products, tools, and techniques are based on over 30 years of scientific research conducted at the HeartMath Institute on the psychophysiology of stress, emotions, and the interactions between the heart and brain.
"Scientists and physicians consider HRV to be an important indicator of health and fitness.
“As a marker of physiological resilience and behavioral flexibility, it reflects our ability to adapt effectively to stress and environmental demands."
From article (with video) The Science of HeartMath, also on the site.
One of many research papers on this topic notes: "The heart and brain have bi-directional influences on each other, including autonomic regulation and hemodynamic connections.
"Heart rate variability (HRV) measures variation in beat-to-beat intervals... HRV acts as a proxy of autonomic activity and is associated with executive functions, decision-making, and emotional regulation in our health and wellbeing."
From article "The connection between heart rate variability (HRV), neurological health, and cognition: A literature review, Frontiers in Neuroscience, published by National Library of Medicine, 2023 Mar 1.
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Strategies For Rewiring Your Brain
- from article by Cathleen King:
"Below are some tips on how to rewire your brain to control anxiety:
Try Biofeedback
Biofeedback, especially Heart Rate Variability (HRV) training, can help you manage anxiety by balancing your nervous system.
How to Begin: Use devices like HeartMath to monitor and train your HRV. Practice slow, deep breathing exercises. Set aside time each day for biofeedback sessions.
What the Research Says: Studies in the National Library of Medicine show that HRV training helps reduce anxiety. It improves your ability to control stress responses.
Why It Helps: Biofeedback helps you regulate physical responses to stress, creating a calmer state of mind."
See much more in her article How to Rewire Your Anxious Brain: Strategies for Calm and Clarity.
Dr Cathleen King, DPT, is a "doctor of physical therapy who teaches neuroscience principles, and is a mind-body practitioner."
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