Stress hormones and neurochemicals spur us to action – they help keep us safe when we experience a physical threat. However, mental or emotional stress also increases stress chemicals in our bodies, and with a mental threat, it’s not always as simple as running away from lions or tigers or bears (oh my!). 

Stress can be a good thing when served up in small doses, but when stress becomes a chronic issue, health can begin to suffer.

Stress hormones can increase inflammation, alter metabolism, and interfere with digestion. Every cell in the body can be negatively impacted by chronic stress, and the heart is no exception. Learning to manage stress in constructive ways benefits health – helping you feel better in your body now and in the future.

Stress and your heart

When you experience stress – physical or psychological – your body initiates a complex response across multiple body systems. Three main response mechanisms are responsible for what happens next: immune, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA), and sympathetic-adreno-medullar (SAM). 

The SAM response is fast. The adrenals increase epinephrine and norepinephrine (you probably think of these as adrenalin) that trigger the sympathetic nervous system. Muscle cells contract, blood vessels constrict, heart rate and blood pressure increase, oxygen consumption goes up, and blood sugar rises to fuel all of these physiological responses. You become more alert, focused, and vigilant. 

The HPA axis responds more slowly to stress. Your brain tells your adrenal glands to release cortisol, a hormone that increases circulating blood sugar, helps your brain use blood sugar for energy more efficiently, and works to replenish the energy stores that were used up during the stress response. Cortisol also helps your immune system repair damaged or injured tissues that might result from exposure to the stressful event.

After the acute stress is over, calming hormones and neurotransmitters shift your body out of the stress response and into recovery and repair mode. However, with chronic stress, this balancing act doesn’t occur or function as well as it should. So, what happens to your heart when you experience constant long-term stress?

With chronic stress, your heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cortisol levels remain elevated. Over time the HPA axis becomes dysregulated, and your body can’t break down excess cortisol as efficiently. The way the body responds to cortisol changes, too, leading to widespread inflammation. Constant exposure to inflammatory molecules can damage tissues, including the heart and circulatory system.

Blood vessels might begin to thicken or harden – a process called atherosclerosis – making it harder for the heart to pump blood to the tissues. Both high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar increase oxidative stress as well, another cause of damage to cardiovascular tissues. It all sounds a little scary, but the good news is, learning to manage stress in constructive ways can help protect your heart and keep it healthy.

How meditation benefits your heart

When you practice meditation, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system – the rest and digest functions of your body. While the sympathetic nervous system tells your heart to pump faster and harder, the parasympathetic nervous system lowers heart rate and blood pressure, helps you take slower, deeper breaths, and produces calming chemicals in the brain. 

Meditation also helps regulate the HPA axis, bringing cortisol levels – and by extension blood sugar and inflammation – back into balance. Regular meditation helps to break the cycle of chronic stress, allowing the heart a respite from the damage constant stress can cause. Research confirms that the benefits of meditation lead to better health long-term, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome, when practiced regularly.1,2 

Meditation versus mindfulness versus prayer

Meditation is one type of spiritual coping mechanism. Mindfulness, prayer, gratitude, and affirmations are similar methods for coping with stress that benefit your heart as well as your overall mindset. In fact, the terms meditation, mindfulness, and prayer are often used interchangeably, although the practices themselves can differ. Some individuals feel more comfortable with one term or the other, but research shows a variety of different spiritual coping mechanisms have beneficial effects. Which means, it doesn’t matter what you call it. The key to long-term benefits is similar to that with exercise – choose a form of meditation you enjoy and can stick with long-term, incorporating it as a daily practice.

Getting started with meditation

Getting started with meditation is easy. It mainly involves choosing a type of meditation, finding a quiet space, and giving yourself the time to tune in to your breath, feelings, and sensations without judgment or if your mind starts to wander. Try one of the meditations described below or download an app on your phone. Apps like Headspace and Insight Timer are well known, although paid versions might be required to access all the features. Your health insurance might also offer free access to meditation apps, so check with your insurance company or your employer’s benefits department for more information.

Breathwork

Breathwork is a type of meditation that places your focus on deep, belly breathing. Rather than asking you to simply observe your breath as in other types of meditation, breathwork is an active meditation that focuses on altering your breath in specific ways. Box breathing, or four-square breathing, is an easy starter breathwork exercise.

To practice box breathing, sit comfortably in a chair with your feet on the floor, hands resting on your lap. Alternatively, you can place one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen to feel the direction of your breaths into your belly. Slowly breathe in deeply into your abdomen while silently counting to four in your head. Hold the breath in for a count of four, then breathe out slowly for a four count. Hold for a count of four one more time to complete the “square”, then start over again with your next inhalation.

Mantra meditation

Mantra meditation includes the repetition of syllables, words, or phrases that can be repeated silently in your mind, chanted, whispered, or sung. Repeating a mantra helps you to maintain focus so your mind is less likely to wander. To practice mantra meditation, choose words that have significance or meaning to you – something that will help you stay calm and focused. 

After you’ve chosen your mantra, find a space to sit quietly with your feet on the floor, hands resting on your lap. Close your eyes or allow your gaze to softly focus on a single spot. Take in a slow, deep breath and then say (or think) your mantra as you begin to slowly exhale. Repeat your mantra with slow, even breaths for several minutes or for as long as you are able.

If you’re unsure of a mantra to use, you might want to try the loving-kindness meditation to help you get started. For the first few minutes of your meditative practice, repeat the phrase, “May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and free of suffering.” Next, picture a loved one and repeat the phrase with them in mind, “May you be happy. May you be well. May you be safe. May you be peaceful and free of suffering.” Begin to think of others as you continue to repeat the mantra, sending your loving-kindness out into the world.

Movement meditation

Do you love the idea of meditation but struggle with the thought of sitting still? Then a meditative form of exercise – like yoga or tai chi – might be for you. With movement meditation, you move your body through different positions at a slow pace, taking deep breaths, and allowing your mind to focus on your breathing or the sensations in your body. This can be especially helpful if your mind tends to wander with other types of meditation. Search for “movement meditation” or “mindful movement” on YouTube to find free videos for getting started. A Google search for “free yoga classes near me” can help you find an in-person yoga class in your local area.

Curious about your stress response? Then check out Thorne’s at-home Stress Test, which measures two stress-related hormone levels – cortisol and DHEA – to better understand if you are managing stress effectively.

References

  1. Levine GN, Lange RA, Bairey-Merz CN, et al. Meditation and cardiovascular risk reduction: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. J Am Heart Assoc 2017;6(10):e002218. Published 2017 Sep 28. doi:10.1161/JAHA.117.002218
  2. Ray IB, Menezes AR, Malur P, et al. Meditation and coronary heart disease: a review of the current clinical evidence. Ochsner J 2014;14(4):696-703.