Perhaps you know the feeling that a particular decision comes from your heart rather than your brain. This is because there is a kind of heart-brain connection and it is important for the emotions you feel. You can almost speak of a heart brain, because of the influence your heart has on your body and thoughts.
Research shows that your brain-heart connection is important for experiencing positive emotions[1].
This is because your brain determines how you feel, but takes into account environmental and internal factors. Research shows that your heart is very important to the emotions you have[2]. The rhythm at which your heart beats apparently sends a signal to your brain which says something about how you feel.
The interesting thing is, you can influence this rhythm and be more comfortable in your own skin as a result. In fact, if you do something you enjoy to feel better about yourself, this in turn also has a positive effect on the rhythm of your heart (source 2).
When you feel stressed it also affects your heart. Negative feelings are a signal that something is not going well. Research also shows that prolonged stress can cause heart problems.
Fortunately, techniques to restore your emotions can also ensure that you become stress-free and then you do not develop stress-related problems (source 1).
In fact, there are 3 things in your body that interact. Your body, your thoughts and your emotional system. Fortunately, you can also do a lot of conscious things with your body and your thoughts that can make you feel good, both physically and emotionally.
That communication is through rhythms and patterns. These have to be right, so to speak, and otherwise you get a negative feeling. When everything works well together and is coherent, you feel that as flow and that you feel good.
Heart rate and coherence
For example, if you have a restless heart rate, this is often a reflection of the chaos at that moment in your life. That you are going through a tougher period in your life, so to speak. This shows the difficulty of dealing with the problem of that moment in your life.
Your heart is always communicating with your brain and this causes certain emotions and thoughts.
With anxiety , for example, you often notice your heart racing, and that communication to your brain can cause you to have even more thoughts about what you are afraid of. This may even eventually lead to a panic attack.
At the same time, a good heart rate can make you feel very good and have more positive thoughts. Since your brain is also always communicating back to your heart, consciously seeking positive emotions can also have a good effect on your heart rate.
Doing conscious exercises to feel better can help your whole body function better (source 1).
For example, studies show that compassion meditation can improve heart coherence (source 1, page 40).
The Heart Locki-in technique also improves heart rate and coherence. In the process, this technique can also influence your brain waves to a more relaxed state (source 1, page 96). This exercise takes 5 to 15 minutes. During the exercise, think of things for which you are grateful.
The Freeze-Frame technique takes one minute and is designed to focus on positive things when you are in a stressful situation. You focus on the area of your heart and evoke postive emotions by expressing appreciation (in thought), for example. This technique also affects your heart rate and coherence. Students can use this technique to reduce stress before a test (source 1, page 95).
Want to know more about your brain and heart coherence and how stabilizing it can help you improve your (work) life? Please contact me without obligation.
See you soon.
Petra.
[1] http://www.integral-review.org/issues/vol_5_no_2_mccraty_et_al_the_coherent_heart.pdf
[2] https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/heart-brain-neurodynamics/229337