Mention stress and all of us would be familiar with the downside of this energy sapping process. While some stress would extend our reserves and resilience relentless salvos of this force would generate repeated surges of physiological turbulence and nervous system overactivity which in the long run is not good for our hearts or our brains. Aside from being constantly vigilant and over anxious, ‘fired and wired,’ heart disease, persistent crippling forgetfulness associated with premature cognitive decline and a range of psychiatric disorders are associated with the cumulative effects of persistent stress.
That’s the bad news, the upside is that we can tune into this destructive whirlwind before its damaging effects are hardwired. Heart rate variability currently embraced by the wellness community as the measurement du jour of cardiovascular efficiency and vitality is a good early barometer of our stress levels. High heart rate variability is an indicator of calmness and equanimity, states that bathe our hearts and our brains in peaceful tides and soothing waters while low variability foments destructive raging currents that incessantly erode our hearts and our higher centres. Fatigue and fibromyalgia have been linked with low heart rate variability.
While we need smart phones and electronic measuring devices to tap into heart rate variability simply quantifying our pulse rate by placing our fingers on our radial pulse located near the wrist can provide a reliable proxy for this activity. The normal heart rate is 50-90 beats per minute. A rapid heart rate, on the high end of this range or above suggests low heart rate variability that we would need to address before it sets in to harm us while a low heart rate, unless we have some form of heart disease, indicates high heart rate variability and is favourable.
