Stress and Heart Health: The Surprising Connection

Stress is undeniably one of the most common reasons for most problems in our lives. It not only affects our behaviour and cognitive function but also other aspects of our lives such as physical health, relationships and productivity.

Different people have different triggers of stress. What may be stressful to you, might not stress your partner or family. Did you know that stress can stem from both happy and unhappy events? Having a wedding, birthday party, or job promotion can bring equal stress from a recession, loss of a job, the demise of a close one, and others.

How does stress impact heart health?

Our mental health has a direct impact on our body, especially the heart. Have you noticed signs such as cold feet and hands, sweaty palms or face, racing heartbeat and fidgeting with your fingers when nervous? These are all a result of the effect of stress on the heart.

Stress is a huge risk factor for heart disease and stroke. It may contribute to poor habits including but not limited to:

• Overeating
• Smoking and drinking alcohol
• Not getting enough sleep
• Following an unhealthy eating pattern
• Gaining weight
• Not exercising
• Not maintaining good physical hygiene
• Avoiding medications
• Poor cognition, mood and behaviour

In return, the body would respond by:

• Having low energy all day long
• Poor quality sleep
• Making you cranky, low, angry, forgetful

A stressful situation can impact your body beyond what you think. Stress releases adrenaline which increases breathing, heart rate and blood pressure to prepare your body for fight or flight reactions. If the stress levels continue to rise, you may experience other symptoms that involve different organs of the body, especially the stomach and brain function.

What is chronic stress? How does it impact heart health?

Chronic stress is when a person fails to manage stress effectively for a long time and it starts impacting your physical health. Under chronic stress, the body is always guarded and has higher levels of adrenaline than usual to prepare for on and off fight or flight reactions.

This may result in increased blood pressure and the risk of heart attack or stroke. Hence, it is advisable to manage stress and anxiety to prevent cardiovascular events in future.

What are the easiest ways to manage stress?

Now don’t think that managing stress will eliminate stress altogether. It is normal to feel stressed at times. But it is crucial to find ways to not let it harm the body and relieve it quickly. To combat stress, you can make subtle changes in your habits, one at a time. These include:

• Start exercising at least 150 minutes in a week. This will make you mentally and physically ready to deal with stress.
• Learn to meditate. Using soothing fragrances while doing so can enhance your mood and alleviate stress.
• Consult a therapist if you feel you cannot manage stress on your own.
• Practise mindful eating. This means that when you feel stressed, make a conscious effort to not eat unhealthy foods or overeat. Replace eating when stressed with running/ doing any physical activity. It can also be cleaning your cupboard or any part of the house.

Conclusion

Remember, prolonged stress can not just affect your heart, but also your productivity, work, relationships and others. You have the power to bring a change today. Manage your stress well, and expect good things to happen.