Understanding The Link Between Emotions And Heart Health

Have you ever stopped to think about the connection between our emotions and our physical health? How do our brain and heart work together, and how do our emotions impact our overall well-being?

These questions are not just fascinating, but also crucial for understanding the relationship between our emotions and our heart health.

In this blog, we will explore the fascinating connection between emotions and the heart, and how volatile emotions can have a significant impact on our physical health.

Let's delve into the world of emotions and learn more about how they affect our hearts.

Understanding your emotions

Emotion is a strong human urge to express inner feelings toward others. Emotion has been defined as "sudden trouble, transient agitation caused by an acute experience of fear, curiosity, anger, greed, surprise, joy, etc."  

Emotions are the basic backbone of human nature and psychology. Emotions have a powerful impact on human well-being, an emotionally disturbed person has many phycological and physical issues.

Effect of emotions on the body

Emotional stress sets off a chain reaction in your body. When you are angry, anxious, tense, frustrated, scared, or depressed, your body's natural reaction is to release stress hormones.  

Cortisol and adrenaline are two of these hormones. They get your body ready to deal with stress. They cause your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to constrict in order to push more blood to the center of your body.  

Hormones also raise your blood pressure and sugar levels. This "fight or flight" response is thought to have evolved during prehistoric times when we needed an extra burst of adrenaline to avoid danger.

Your blood pressure and heart rate should return to normal after your stress has subsided. However, if you are constantly stressed, your body does not have a chance to recover. This may result in artery wall damage.

Although it is unclear whether stress causes high blood pressure or heart disease on its own, it does pose an indirect risk. It also has a negative impact on your overall health.

Link between brain and heart health

We frequently consider the heart and brain to be separate entities. After all, your heart and brain are in separate parts of your body, and cardiology and neurology are distinct disciplines. However, these organs are inextricably linked, and when your emotions have an adverse effect on your brain, your heart suffers as well.

The link between your brain and your heart is emotions. Fluctuation in emotions can induce different stress in your heart.  

There are two types of stress that have an effect on your brain. Helpful stress (also known as eustress) can help you get things done by focusing your attention. On the other hand, Unhelpful stress (distress) can cause fatigue and heart disease.

If you have coronary artery disease (CAD), your heart may be deprived of oxygen. This deprivation, known as myocardial ischemia, can occur in up to 30% to 50% of all CAD patients. It can be exacerbated further by emotional stress. In fact, if you have heart disease of any kind, any strong emotion, such as volatile anger, can cause severe and fatal irregular heart rhythms.  

Expressions like ‘died of fright’ and ‘worried to death’ are not just exaggerations; they are physiological possibilities. Furthermore, when patients with newly diagnosed heart emotion disease become depressed, the risk of a harmful heart-related event occurring within that year increases.

Healthy tips for emotional regulation

Stress can be managed in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Many people cope with stress by smoking, drinking excessively, or overeating. All of these bad habits can lead to heart disease.  

However, regulating your emotions using healthy stress management techniques allows you to better your heart disease care.   

Consider the following suggestions:

1. Exercise

• Exercise is a great way to burn off excess energy and stress when you are anxious and tense.  
• Take a walk, ride your bike, swim, or go to the gym for your favorite class.
• Plan to exercise for 150 minutes per week at a moderate intensity or 75 minutes at a vigorous intensity.  
• You can relieve stress and improve your heart health by exercising in 30- to 40-minute increments four to five days a week. 

2. Journal your thoughts

• Journaling is one of the best practices to release all your emotions.  
• Writing down your feelings on paper may line up your thoughts and relax your brain.  
• You can manage your daily schedule, gratitude, bucket list, etc. And track it to get more clarity on your daily emotional balance.  

3. Take a deep breath

• Yoga is beneficial not only to the body but also to the mind.  
• Yoga's meditative, deep breathing is calming and stress-relieving, especially if done regularly.  
• Regularly practicing deep breathing helps improve our mood and overall wellbeing significantly.  

4. Find an outlet

• We feel emotions very deeply. Our happiness, anger, grief, sadness, excitement, and fear greatly impact our bodies. 
• Releasing all the negative emotions and feeling all positive emotions is one of the best methods to manage them. 

5. Spend some alone time

• Take a few minutes to get away from your surroundings when your stress level rises.  
• Spend some time alone, reading a short story or listening to your favorite music.  
• Develop a sense of gratitude. Make a list of what you're grateful for in your life to help you focus on the good.

6. Gather with your friends

• Social media is no substitute for spending time with the people you care about.  
• Make some weekly traditions with your friends. If they live a long distance away, consider volunteering or joining a local group of people who share your interests.  
• According to research, people who have frequent social connections have better protection against high blood pressure.

7. Seek professional help

• Don't ignore stress, anxiety, depression, excessive worry, or angry outbursts that take over your life. Seek professional assistance.  
• If you meet the diagnostic criteria, treatment can help reduce symptoms, protecting your brain and heart.

Conclusion

In conclusion, taking care of our emotional health is crucial for maintaining a healthy heart. It's essential to understand that our emotions and heart health are interconnected, and we can't neglect either of them.  

By incorporating healthy habits like exercise, meditation, and journaling, we can manage our emotions and reduce the risk of heart disease.  

Remember, it's never too late to start taking care of yourself, so take the first step towards a healthier heart today!