Our heart rate varies depending on what we’re doing – slower when sitting down and stroking a pet, faster when running for a train while carrying a heavy bag!
HRV is your body’s reaction to any time differences that occur between each beat of your heart. HRV is controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which is made up of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS).
Think of it as your body’s 24-hour surveillance system, there to keep an eye on your heart rate, along with blood pressure, breathing and digestion.
The hypothalamus is the surveillance system’s control desk where information arriving from the ANS is processed. The hypothalamus then processes and predicts what your body’s response should be – this could be feeling an emotion like excitement, stress or fatigue.
HRV is a way to measure physical fitness, much like you would measure your blood pressure or heart rate. The information recorded might highlight any problems such as an imbalance in your ANS. This could be the result of your body reacting to long term stress or not getting enough sleep.
Some smart watches and trackers claim to monitor HRV data. Though they should not be completely relied upon for their accuracy and reliability, these devices are certainly another tool to help you monitor your internal state.
It could be interesting if you stop and spend time taking note of your own emotions thoughts and feelings to see if the readings mirror the HRV information on your smart watch or tracker.
Generally, if you are in a state of fear, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is activated, creating the fight or flight response. In this state, variation between subsequent heart beats tends to be lower. If you are in a more restorative ‘rest and digest’ phase (typically after eating a meal), variation between heart beats tends to be higher.
As a result, HRV can be used as an additional feedback tool. It’s non-invasive and might motivate you to lead a healthier life. See if you notice changes in the readings when you adopt calming, soothing practices like breathing exercises or mindful movement.
As The Mind & Body Guide, my approach to therapy is to help you to understand yourself mentally and physically.
As The Mind & Body Guide I help you make sense of the situation and show you how to safely re engage in meaningful life activities.I can help you build a set of skills which will enable you to develop an awareness of your bodies protection systems. This lets you to take action and lead the life that you want to live.
By working together, we can plot your pathway to a healthier, happier life.
