Protect Your Heart With Emotional Intelligence
Shahan Chowdhury, M.D.
The Executive Health Doc? | Founder & CEO @ Tailored Health | Executive Health & Wellness Expert | Concierge Medicine Pioneer
Studies have demonstrated that our emotions and moods can physically influence the health of our hearts in the long run — hence, mindfulness techniques are crucial for us to embrace positive vibes that preserve and protect them.
For centuries, the heart has been synonymous with our emotions. Although this concept has become a staple in art and literature, scientists have recently begun to study its correlation to physical health. Our hearts change due to our moods and emotions over time; similarly to how we can modify brain connections through activities (also known as neuroplasticity), {we have an article about neuroplasticity} cardiac plasticity is the term used for when the structure of your heart adjusts depending on emotional states.
Rejuvenated Mind, Uplifted Spirit
Studies have proven that certain emotional states can be damaging to the physical heart.
A systematic review of 30 prospective studies, published in 2014, revealed a concerning link between major depression and coronary heart disease or cardiac arrest over an extensive two to 37-year period. The research involved 40 special reports spanning 893,850 participants.
From feeling anxious to the lingering pain of a traumatic event, or from being frustrated with your job to dealing with anger issues — it is all very similar in terms of its cardiovascular risks. There appears to be an underlying physiological pathway that links these significant stressors together.
Stress cardiomyopathy, also known as “broken heart syndrome,” is the most extreme example of how negative emotions can affect your heart. In this condition, a person’s physical heart will weaken to the point of failure due to intense sorrow and shock. This condition reinforces that our mental health undeniably impacts our overall well-being — particularly when maintaining a healthy cardio system. The threat of experiencing a heart attack surges 21 times within 24 hours after the death of someone close.
Conversely, studies have demonstrated that heartening prosocial emotions such as appreciation, confidence, and sympathy can be beneficial by reducing stress and assisting the heart in settling into an equilibrium of serenity.
Studies have illustrated a connection between optimism, life purpose, positive affect, and decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
A monumental study of 97,253 women over eight years showcased the remarkable benefits of optimism. Optimistic subjects experienced a 30% lower risk of death from coronary heart disease and 14% fewer deaths than their more cynical counterparts. Moreover, those categorized as having higher levels of hostility had augmented risks for premature demise due to cancer or other diseases.
Although some elements of our heart health are beyond our control, such as genetics, knowledge about the relationship between feelings and cardiovascular well-being empowers us to invite emotions that nurture our emotional and bodily hearts.
A Renewed Perspective
Recognizing how emotions alter our physical responses is fundamental to identifying their origin.
Our outlook and understanding of circumstances and experiences, the implications we consciously or unconsciously make, determine how we think, feel, and act — stress reactivity commencing in mind.
Three overlapping components are found in our body, mind, and behavior, connecting psychological well-being, stressful emotions, and heart health. Let’s take a concise ride along the mind-heart path.
Before we dive deeper into the distinctions between mood, feelings, and emotions, let’s assess how you create emotions.
Emotions take shape in the blink of an eye, coming from our primitive limbic brain regions (e.g., the amygdala). This information then reaches our more modern, humanly-specific frontal cortical centers accountable for comprehending and strategizing accordingly.
Our emotions lead us to our feelings. Contrary to popular belief, however, these two concepts are not the same; instead, feelings arise from assigning meaning to our emotions based on past experiences and personal thoughts. Therefore, we can consider our emotions subjective interpretations of what we experience.
For instance, when we ask to give a speech in front of an audience, our bodies may respond with physical symptoms like stiff muscles, butterflies in the stomach, or a rapid heartbeat. Our conscious mind recognizes these physical sensations as an emotion — fear.
The emotions we experience are a natural way to protect ourselves and take action. Our moods combine emotions and sensations that can arise suddenly or persist for weeks, with no initial causal factor.
When we form a pattern of emotions and feelings and start to understand them as part of our identity, it can be challenging for us to remain mindful of these sensations. They may come across more like an ever-present companion rather than fleeting data that appears and then fades away.
Unleashing the Power of Our Emotions
Our emotions are essential for us to protect ourselves; in fact, the origin of the word “emotion” is e movēre, from Latin, which translates as “to move outward.” To comprehend this concept more deeply, let’s analyze how our feelings effectively link our brains with our bodies.
Whenever a person feels an emotion, their brain initiates a series of electrical and chemical signals propagating through the body’s autonomic nervous system (ANS).
Our body’s design is to recognize physical signals, which is why stress can cause inflammation and the activation of blood platelets (resulting in a tendency toward blood clots) and quicken cellular aging. Receptors in our organs respond to these physiological stimuli, making us vulnerable to their effects.
Emotions can significantly influence how our brain works, from how we focus and think to how much energy/motivation we have, impacting our sleep patterns and appetite.
At the end of this mental and emotional journey, we must recognize how our behavior impacts our conscious or unconscious impulses directed by feelings. Our psychological state determines whether we invest in self-care, practice healthy habits, and build a community around us that provides comfort. Therefore it’s essential to understand the power emotions have on our lives if we wish to make choices that lead to a more fruitful life.
Studies have demonstrated that how we interact with the world — our personality traits — can contribute to the risk of heart disease. We broadly understand this concept through Type A personalities, which consider a factor for coronary conditions.
Researchers have recently discovered that only specific Type A characteristics can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease: hostility, anger, anxiety, and depression. Of these traits, depression poses the greatest threat to developing heart-related issues.
Fortunately, with practice and dedication, we can reprogram specific patterns of our emotional responses.
Maximize Your Heart and Emotional Health for Lasting Wellness
To help people take steps towards bettering their cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association has identified eight essential factors to be aware of. They include activity level, tobacco use, sleep, healthy options, weight management, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar control. The number of indicators we possess is on our position along the behavior spectrum, from unhealthy to healthy and maladaptive to adaptive.
Prolonged exposure to these behaviors and changing parameters can potentially cause cardiac issues or, at worst, detrimental health events.
It’s hard to define the relationship between emotional and physical health, but recognizing how our mental well-being affects our actions helps us take better care of ourselves. We can protect our hearts from harm by paying attention to internal feelings. Mindful awareness is a critical element in promoting heart health and overall wellness.
About the Author:
The Executive Health Doc?, Dr. Shahan Chowdhury, is an executive health expert and concierge medicine pioneer working with companies that seek to ignite professional and personal growth in their executives. She is consistently ranked in the top 10% of executive health providers in the United States. Her clinic, Tailored Health, is located in Frisco, TX, and empowers senior leaders to become the executives of their health and long-term well-being.