You do a lot to take care of your heart. You might eat well, exercise and avoid smoking—all of which are key factors in preventing America’s #1 killer, heart disease.
But there’s another secret threat that can wreak havoc on your heart even if you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
We’re talking about stress.
Doctors have long agreed that stress is a major killer. Chronic stress is linked to six leading causes of death, with cardiovascular disease at the top of the list [1].
The connection between stress and heart health is a lot closer than you might think. Luckily, it’s easy to manage stress and protect your heart with a few simple stress-fighting techniques.
Learning how stress impacts your heart wellness could be key to keeping your heart beating stronger for longer.
The Stress and Heart Health Connection
Can stress really impact your heart? Isn’t stress a mental issue?
It may seem like stress arises from your mind, but it has physical effects throughout your body.
Chronic stress directly impacts heart health by triggering a series of physical changes that strain your cardiovascular system. Stress isn’t supposed to cause you harm. In fact, it’s a basic survival mechanism.
The problems start when stress doesn’t stop. When you’re under stress, your body switches to “fight or flight” mode. This stressful state increases your blood pressure and heart rate, which gives you the boost of energy you need to overcome stressful challenges.
But you’re not supposed to stay in this state for longer than a few hours. Being unable to calm down is called chronic stress, and it’s very dangerous to your heart.
Putting continuous pressure on your heart and blood vessels can wear down your heart over time, making it more difficult for it to function efficiently.
Stress can also lead to inflammation—another critical factor in the development of heart disease. Inflammation of the arteries can cause the plaque to accumulate, narrowing them and making it harder for blood to flow.
Together, these reactions to chronic stress elevate your risk of developing heart disease and having a heart attack.
Recognizing Signs of Stress
The first step in tackling stress is recognizing it. Are you feeling more irritable than usual? Having trouble sleeping? Or maybe you’re experiencing headaches or muscle tension.
These can all be signs that stress is affecting your health more than you know. It’s easy to brush off signs of chronic stress by telling yourself you just need a good night’s sleep or a vacation.
But if you experience any of the following stress red flags regularly, you may need more than a quiet afternoon to protect your heart from stress.
- Emotional Instability: Increased irritability, mood swings, feeling overwhelmed, anxiety, depression, a sense of loneliness, or withdrawn.
- Physical Symptoms: Frequent headaches, muscle tension (especially in the neck and shoulders), digestive issues, changes in appetite and poor sleep.
- Behavioral Changes: Difficulty concentrating, procrastination, increased alcohol or caffeine consumption and decreased productivity.
- Mental Symptoms: Constant worry, racing thoughts, forgetfulness, indecisiveness and a feeling of being out of control.
These are all signs that stress is starting to take a toll.
Recognizing these red flags is the first step toward adopting heart-healthy stress management strategies like the ones in the next section.
How to Protect Your Heart by Managing Stress
Knowing how to effectively manage stress is key to maintaining both mental and physical health. Implementing stress-reduction techniques can significantly improve your quality of life and potentially reduce the risk of heart disease.
Here’s how you can start taking control:
Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness and meditation are pharmaceutical-free stress reducers that are scientifically proven to take your stress levels down a few notches. In fact, meditation is so effective that it’s been found to have the same stress-reducing effects as popular anxiety drugs [2]. Mindful practices encourage you to focus on the present moment, helping you clear your mind of worries, regrets and other cluttered thoughts.
Research has found that regular meditation actually changes your brain chemistry, leading to decreased anxiety and depression [3]. By dedicating time to mindfulness, you’re essentially training your brain to be more calm and resilient in the face of stress. And less stress in your brain puts less pressure on your heart.
Eat an Anti-Stress Diet
What you eat has a massive impact on your stress levels. Consuming a diet rich in anti-stress foods can help stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce the impacts of stress on the body.
This means even if you can’t avoid some of the stress in your life, you may be able to protect your heart by consuming nutrients that counter the effects of stress.
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like DHA have been found to reduce stress and heart-damaging inflammation [4].
Magnesium, found in foods such as leafy greens and nuts, may improve sleep and reduce stress [5]. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are high in antioxidants, does double duty by fighting stress-related inflammation and shielding the heart from damage. Unfortunately, most Americans don’t eat enough of any of these stress-fighting nutrients.
However, turning your diet into an anti-stress diet is as simple as taking a daily multivitamin. If you’re concerned about heart health, you may want to consider taking a powerful antioxidant like those in Manna’s Heart Health Bundle.
Numerous studies have found these antioxidants (curcumin, zinc and COQ10) to protect the heart and reduce stress.
Stay Active
Regular physical activity is one of the most effective ways to combat stress. Exercise improves your physical health, which can have an impact on your mood, energy and stress levels. It also increases the production of endorphins, your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters.
Studies have consistently found that engaging in regular physical activity results in fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression [6]. And you don’t have to pump iron like Arnold or run a marathon to start feeling better.
A 30-minute walk, cycling, or even a game of table tennis can act as a natural stress reliever. Some of the best activities for both stress and heart health include yoga and hiking.
Yoga has been found to have similar stress-relieving effects as meditation, and spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress and improve your mood [7].
Don’t Worry, Keep Your Heart Happy
Stress might be a part of life, but it doesn’t have to take a toll on your heart.
By understanding the connection between stress and heart wellness—and taking steps to manage stress—you can help protect your heart and improve your overall well-being.
Remember, taking care of your heart is not just about diet and exercise. It’s also about taking care of your mind and managing the challenges that life throws your way.
By combining relaxation techniques with powerful heart health nutrition like Manna’s Heart Health Bundle, you can support your heart wellness and protect against cardiovascular disease while feeling a little more chill every day.
FAQ
Chronic stress can raise blood pressure, increase heart rate, and lead to inflammation, all of which can contribute to heart disease over time.
Symptoms like frequent headaches, muscle tension, trouble sleeping, irritability, and increased anxiety can be signs that stress is impacting your heart.
Yes, prolonged stress can contribute to the development of heart disease and increase the risk of a heart attack by raising blood pressure and causing inflammation.
Practices like mindfulness, meditation, regular exercise, and eating a heart-healthy diet can help reduce stress and protect your heart.
Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables are known to reduce stress and inflammation, benefiting heart health.
Engaging in just 30 minutes of moderate activity like walking, yoga, or cycling a few times a week can significantly reduce stress and support heart health.
Sources:
- https://www.slma.cc/the-science-of-stress/
- https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/11/09/1135211525/anxiety-medication-meditation-lexapro
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4769029/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8510994/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7761127/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3632802/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8953618/
