How Can We Use Our Minds To Protect Our Hearts?

We keep seeing, in advertising campaigns, the risks that our lifestyle generates for our health. Overweight, sedentary lifestyle, bad eating habits, alcohol and tobacco consumption, cholesterol… These are risk factors for the development of various diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases.

We know full well that we need to eat healthy, exercise moderately, and not smoke or drink alcohol to avoid this type of pain. But it’s not just these factors that influence it. We must also take into account a series of psychological and social factors. Let’s see what are they!

“Life is 10% of what happens and 90% of how we react to it.”

-Dennis P. Kimbro-

Negative emotions: the influence of anger on heart problems

It was shown that anger, anxiety and depression influence on the development of cardiovascular disease. Regarding anger, we must differentiate between inner anger (when we suppress its expression but feel it), outer anger (when we respond aggressively as soon as we feel it) and anger control (when we feel it). regulate efficiently).

It has been shown that inner anger is a risk factor at the onset and in the development of pathologies of the heart. This happens because when we block our expression, we keep feeling it. In fact, blocking it only increases the emotional discomfort in many cases.

Avoiding expressing our anger can be as harmful as expressing it out of control. It is best to do this in a way that does not attack the person with whom we are interacting. Assertive techniques are the best.

“The less you open your heart, the more your heart will suffer.”

-Deepak Chopra-

External anger is also linked to these illnesses, but not only. It has also been found to be a protective factor against myocardial infarction and cerebral hemorrhage. Failure to control anger can lead to the worst cardiovascular disease and heart disease in general.

Anxiety and sadness: emotional discomfort and the health of our heart

Emotional discomfort often appears after the diagnosis of a disease of this type. It is normal for it to be more intense at first and to gradually decrease as the person adjusts to changes in their lifestyle. The most common emotions that arise in these situations are anxiety and sadness.

Regarding anxiety, it has been shown that having high anxiety after a myocardial infarction increases the risk of experiencing complications by five. This is why it is very important to put in place strategies to effectively regulate this state of anxiety.

When sadness becomes pathological, whether it drifts into depressive symptoms or depression as a disorder, it can be decisive in the onset of heart disease. The response to treatment is not very good. It is therefore normal that when we learn of a chronic illness, we feel sad. But it is important to work so that this sadness does not stay too long and go away.

How we cope with stress affects the state of our heart

We deal with stress and the situations that cause it in different ways. Some will be more useful than others and will help us improve or deteriorate our well-being. In general, we use strategies to try to solve the problem causing the discomfort and / or we try to deal with the feelings which generate it.

Chronic illnesses, such as those affecting the heart, are a major source of stress. This is why research has been done on how to deal with it and when it is good or harmful for us. Thus, if we try to avoid or “let go” (both mentally and in our behavior) from the difficulties that lead to so many heart problems, we will suffer from exacerbated psychological discomfort. This will influence our functioning, which will be worse, and our health, which will be more affected.

Conversely, we have seen that focusing on solving the problem and accepting those aspects that we cannot change is linked to a better experience of the disease, as there are fewer depressive symptoms. Thus, the two coping strategies for the same physical disease can imply a fundamental difference in its development.

Social support is fundamental for the health of our heart

Social support is a fundamental tool in general psychological well-being. On the one hand, it decreases the negative influences of stress and on the other hand, it promotes healthy lifestyles and a better response to treatment. In addition, it makes us feel more able to cope with the disease.

It is therefore very important that the patient has the necessary social support. Thus, a clear link is made between long-lasting heart disease and poor social support in people who were originally healthy.

In the group of people already diagnosed, the prognosis is worse in people with poor social support. These patients present a greater psychological malaise, more cardiac symptoms, less satisfaction in their life, a shorter life expectancy and a less adapted confrontation with the disease (important aspect, as we have seen).

Thus, we see the importance of social support on physical and mental well-being. It is therefore necessary to build a good cement of social support, especially in people with heart problems. In addition, it is positive that these people are aware of the importance of this support.

“Those who love each other with the heart speak only with the heart.”

-Francisco de Quevedo ”

For all these reasons, it is essential to take care of our heart with healthy lifestyles, healthy eating and playing sports. But we should not underestimate or neglect our mental and social health in the process. We have seen how it can protect us from these diseases and even make their prognosis less serious … Take care of yourself!