But there is one method that may help: meditation. Meditation is an ancient practice that has been used for centuries to reduce stress and promote inner peace.
In this article, we’ll explore how meditation can be used to prevent heart palpitations, as well as tips on how to get started.
What Exactly Is Meditation?
Meditation is a practice that involves focusing on the present moment and letting go of worries or distractions. It can help reduce stress, calm the mind, and promote relaxation. When practiced regularly, it can help prevent heart palpitations.
Studies have shown that meditation can help reduce both the frequency and intensity of heart palpitations in people with anxiety (see also: Meditation For Anxiety (What You Need To Know))and panic disorders. It may also be beneficial for those with arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats.
Why Does Meditation Help With Heart Palpitation?
Meditation has been used to help alleviate stress and anxiety for centuries. It can help reduce feelings of worry, anger, or fear by helping focus the mind into a more relaxed state.
In the short-term, meditation can help slow down breathing and reduce the production of cortisol – a hormone related to stress and anxiety.
This in turn could lower our heart rate, relax our muscles, and increase oxygen levels in the body – key ingredients for reducing stress.
In the long term, mindfulness techniques are particularly effective at recognising how we respond to situations and events with better clarity.
Mindfulness allows us to separate ourselves from unpleasant thoughts instead of obsessing over these thought spirals that lead us down paths of worrisome destinations.
Thanks to this, stress is not only reduced but also prevented before it kicks in!
Meditation also helps create a sense of self-awareness as well as acceptance of your emotions and reactions, which can be highly beneficial in terms of dealing with pressures from daily life.
How Can You Use Meditation To Reduce Heart Palpitations?
Stress can have a serious impact on an individual’s health, be it physical or mental. Palpitations, or feeling like the heart is beating irregularly, are among some of the most common signs of stress.
Fortunately, relaxation techniques can provide relief from associated symptoms.
Meditation and deep breathing are two examples of relaxation techniques that may be used to reduce palpitations due to stress.
When engaging in meditation, you must focus your body and mind on one thing, such as breathing or a chosen visualization.
Similarly, deep breathing exercises involve focusing on the breath by inhaling deeply and then exhaling slowly in order to bring about feelings of inner peace and stability.
Other activities such as journaling may also be used for stress management and self-reflection purposes.
Writing down thoughts, emotions, and worries can help create clarity within yourself, which can lead to further psychological relaxation and improved overall well-being.
Method
To get started with meditation, find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed.
Set aside some time each day to practice the techniques that work best for you.
Deep breathing exercises can help slow down your heart rate and bring your focus back to the present moment.
Visualizing a calm and peaceful scene may also reduce stress and reduce the intensity of any palpitations you are experiencing.
Does Meditation Help Promote Overall Heart Health?
Meditation can provide a range of positive physical and mental health benefits, including promoting heart health. Research has found that meditation down-regulates the hormonal response to stress by decreasing cortisol levels.
This helps to improve heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of how well the body is able to regulate its heartbeat. Studies have linked increased HRV with improved functionality, both physical and mental.
A 2013 study conducted at the University of Sydney in Australia looked into the correlation between meditation and HRV specifically.
The results showed significant improvement in HRV among volunteers who consistently meditated as compared to those who didn’t.
The researchers suggested that this may be due to changes in sympathetic nervous system function which plays an integral role in regulating blood pressure, cardiac output, respiration rate, and energy expenditure.
Taken together, these findings demonstrate that regular meditation practice has a positive effect on cardiovascular health, making it an essential component of any well-rounded wellness routine.
Can Your Lifestyle Help In Preventing Heart Palpitations?
Palpitations, or the sensation of your heart racing or skipping a beat, can be a symptom of stress or anxiety.
Home remedies are available to help manage these symptoms.
The most appropriate way to treat palpitations at home is to avoid the triggers that cause the symptoms.
Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and some cold medicines and energy drinks is important, as these can make the heart beat too fast or irregularly.
Additionally, try to reduce stress with relaxation techniques like yoga, and deep breathing.
Illegal drugs should also be avoided in order to better manage palpitations.
Exercise may also prove useful in reducing stress levels and helping regulate your heartbeat.
Eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, and drinking plenty of water will also contribute to improved physical health, which can help suppress annoying palpitations.
If home remedies fail to alleviate the problem, then it might be time to visit a doctor for more specialized advice and treatment options.
What Else Can Meditation Do For You?
When it comes to mental health, two areas of the brain stand out for their significance – the amygdala and the default mode network (DMN).
The former is part of the brain that helps us to regulate our emotions, concentration, and memory. While feelings are necessary, too much can be damaging when left unchecked.
The other area, the DMN, is responsible for daydreaming and distracting thoughts; unfortunately, these things can give rise to depression, anxiety, and insomnia without proper training.
Fortunately, there is a way to help calm our minds and even out such negative emotions: meditation.
Practicing meditation on a daily basis can decrease activity in both regions mentioned before, decreasing stress levels and calming our thoughts and feelings.
Meditation has been proven over time to reduce symptoms in those suffering from conditions such as depression or some kinds of anxiety.
Not only that, but it positively benefits the quality of sleep and overall feeling of well-being associated with healthy mental health.
Final Thoughts
Heart palpitations can be a symptom of stress or anxiety, and it is important to take steps to reduce this.
Meditation is a powerful tool that can help regulate the body’s heart rate through improved HRV and decreased cortisol and epinephrine levels.
Additionally, lifestyle changes such as avoiding stimulants, engaging in exercise, eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, and drinking plenty of water can contribute to improved physical health, which can in turn help reduce heart palpitations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Else Can I Do To Prevent Heart Palpitations?
Proper hydration is extremely important for good health. When the body becomes dehydrated, the heart has to work harder to circulate blood, which can cause heart palpitations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day to avoid dehydration.
Cardiovascular exercise is especially beneficial for strengthening the heart, which can help reduce palpitations.
I'm Clare, the owner and operator of Off The Couch, where I serve as a qualified Nutrition & Health Coach.
Based in Dublin, Ireland, I offer coaching services both locally and globally, providing personalized strategies in nutrition, stress management, sleep quality, and fitness.
My journey into this field began as I navigated my own chronic illnesses, including early menopause, Interstitial Cystitis, Lyme Disease, and hydrocephalus.
