How Stress Hurts Your Heart: Connection of the Mind and Body
You are not imagining it, your heart does race during an overwhelming meeting or after reading a stressful email. But what happens when your mind is stressed chronically? It takes a toll on our bodies. Did you know that people with high stress are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease? Research shows that persistent stress doesn’t just impact our minds but also impacts our cardiovascular system.
To understand the impact of chronic stress on your heart, it is essential to understand the stress response. When the brain perceives a threat, such as a looming deadline or financial burden, it triggers a “fight or flight” response. This results in your body releasing stress hormones such as cortisol which increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. When stress becomes chronic, this process strains the heart and blood vessels. Additionally, a research study published by the National Institute of Health found that, “exposure to chronic psychosocial stress contributes to the development of hypertension.” Over time this high blood pressure can damage arterial walls and increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
The good news? You have more control than you think. While we can’t always eliminate stress, we can learn to manage it by living a balanced life and finding stress-reducing activities that help you. Some of these can be exercising regularly, spending time with friends and family, getting seven to nine hours of sleep, practicing meditation, or finding a stimulating hobby.
We often think of stress as a cost of ambition, but it is your heart that pays the price. Don’t wait for a warning sign to take stress seriously. Your cardiovascular health begins with your emotional well-being. Take actions that nurture both.
references:
Spruill T. M. (2010). Chronic psychosocial stress and hypertension. Current hypertension reports, 12(1), 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-009-0084-8
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