HEALTH & WELLNESS CORNER
HEALTH & WELLNESS CORNER
BRUCE BLITMAN SHEILA GRIFFIN
Mindfully Managing Your Blood Pressure for Overall Health and Well-Being
The sage words of Jon Kabat-Zinn, the creator of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program,“ You can’ t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf,” resonate for us now more than ever before. Our daily lives are filled with complex demands between home, work, children, elderly parents, health, finances not to mention the occasional emergency. These daily stressors are the waves of our lives. Learning to ride these waves skillfully can be the remedy between living in dis-ease or ease.
Stress activates " fight or flight " responses, which increase heart rate and narrow blood vessels, leading to temporary spikes in blood pressure. Symptoms could include headache, chest pain, difficulty breathing, fatigue, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating. Often, we attribute these symptoms to an array of conditions and self-medicate with any number of unhealthy coping strategies.
This article will offer foundational mindfulness tools to help you more skillfully manage blood pressure to prevent or diminish the spikes.
Mindfulness Practice can play a significant role in managing and even alleviating symptoms associated with high blood pressure( hypertension). Techniques such as meditation, stillness, deep breathing, and body scan meditation, promote relaxation to help deactivate this stress response and can lead to a sustained reduction in blood pressure over time.
When the mind is particularly agitated coming into stillness and focusing on the body and breath can ease the fluctuations of the mind. This simple pause can automatically kick in the parasympathetic system-the rest and relax response of the nervous system. When we stabilize the body and focus on the breath, the mind follows. When the mind is calm, our executive function is back on board, and we can think clearly.
Emotional factors like anger, frustration and anxiety can cause blood pressure to spike. Mindfulness increases awareness of emotions, physical sensations, and behaviors, reducing their intensity and preventing emotional triggers from causing significant blood pressure changes.
We learn to accept that“ anger is here,” or thoughts like,“ I don’ t want this to be happening,”“ I will not be able to accomplish this,” are part of our daily inner experience and dialogue.
Mindfulness cultivates awareness and acceptance of emotions and thoughts, reducing their intensity and preventing emotional triggers from causing significant blood pressure changes.
Mindful Eating is a key ingredient to managing our heart health and helps to better regulate blood pressure. Here are steps to help to eat more mindfully:
1. Slow down: Eat slowly and savor each bite and void rushing or gulping down your food.
2. Check in with Yourself: Before, during, and after eating, take a moment to check in with your emotions and thoughts. Ask yourself …. Why am I eating? Ask yourself if you are genuinely enjoying your food or if there are any underlying emotions influencing your food choice.
3. Sit Down: Whenever possible, sit down to eat. This helps slow down the eating process and promotes a more relaxed and mindful experience.
4. Chew Thoroughly: Pay attention to each bite and chew it thoroughly. This helps you savor the food and avoid overeating.
5. Avoid Distractions: Minimize distractions while eating, such as watching TV, using your phone, or reading. Focus on the present moment and engage with your food.
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