In each moment of every day, a conversation is taking place inside us that’s one of the most vital we will ever find ourselves engaged in. It’s the silent, often subconscious, and never-ending conversation of emotion-based signals between the heart and the brain. The reason this conversation is so important is that the quality of the emotional signal the heart sends to the brain determines what kind of chemicals are released into our bodies. When we feel what we would typically call negative emotions (for instance, anger,hate, jealousy, and rage), the heart sends a signal to the brain that mirrors our feelings. Such emotions are irregular and chaotic, and this is precisely what the signals they send to the brain look like.
If you can envision a chart of the ups and downs for the stock market on a wild and volatile day, you’ll have an idea of the kind of signals we create in our hearts in times of such emotions. The human body interprets this kind of signal as stress, and sets into motion mechanisms to help us respond appropriately.
Figure 4.1. A comparison of the signals between the heart and the brain in two extremes of emotion: the “negative” emotion of frustration and the “positive” emotion of appreciation. Source: The Institute of HeartMath.
The stress from negative emotions increases the levels of cortisol and adrenaline in our bloodstreams, hormones that are often called stress hormones, which prepare us for a quick and powerful reaction to whatever is causing us stress. That reaction includes redirecting the blood supply from the organs deep within our bodies to the places where it’s most needed in such times: the muscles, limbs, and extremities that we use to either confront the source of our stress or run as fast as we can to get away from it—our instinctive fight-or-flight response.
For our distant ancestors, this response would save them from an angry bear that had camped out in their cave, for example. When they felt that the threat was gone, their emotions shifted and the elevated levels of the stress hormones returned to the normal levels of everyday life. The key here is that the stress response is designed to be temporary and brief. When it kicks in, we infuse our bodies with the chemistry needed to respond quickly and powerfully to the threat. It’s all about survival. The good news is that when such high levels of stress chemicals are present, we can become superhumans. We’ve all heard stories of a 98-pound woman successfully tilting a full-size automobile off the ground long enough to save her child pinned beneath—and doing so without first considering if such a feat was even possible.
The Fight or Flight Response
In such cases, the fight-or-flight response is activated on behalf of the child, who would have died without intervention. In these instances, the extra-human strength of the mother is attributed to the surge of stress hormones pouring into the body from her feelings of do or die—feelings that originate in the heart. The flip side of the good news is that while the benefits can be helpful during a short period of time, the stress that triggers the surge effectively shuts down the release of other chemicals that support important functions in our bodies. The release of vital chemicals that support functions of growth, immunity, and anti-aging is dramatically reduced during times of fight or flight. In other words, the body can be in only one mode or the other: fight/flight mode or healing/growth mode.1 Clearly, we were never meant to live day in and day out with constant stress as a way of life. Yet this is precisely the situation that many of us find ourselves experiencing today.
In our modern world of information overload, speed dating, multiple consecutive double cappuccinos, and the often-heard sense that life is “speeding up,” it’s inevitable that our bodies can feel that we’re in a constant state of never-ending stress. People who cannot find a release from this kind of stress find themselves in sustained fight-or-flight mode, with all of the consequences that come with the territory. A quick look around an office or a classroom, or even a glance at our family members over Sunday dinner, confirms what the data suggests. It’s not surprising to find that people with the greatest levels of sustained stress are also in the poorest health.
The rise in U.S. statistics for stress-related conditions, including heart disease and stroke, eating disorders, immune deficiencies, and some cancers, is less of a surprise when we take into account the relentless stress that many people experience in their daily lives. The good news is that the same mechanism that creates and sustains our stress responses, often on a subconscious level, can also be regulated to help us relieve the stress in a healthy way—even when the world is in chaos. And we can do so quickly and intentionally.
Just the way our hearts send our brains the signals of chaos when we feel negative emotions, positive emotions send another kind of signal to our brains that is more regular, more rhythmic,and orderly. In the presence of positive emotions, such as appreciation,gratitude, compassion, and caring, the brain releases a very different kind of chemistry into the body. When we feel a sense of well-being, the level of stress hormones in our bodies decreases, while the life-affirming chemistry of a powerful immune system with anti-aging properties increases. The shift between the stress response and a feeling of well-being can happen quickly.
Studies documented by the Institute of HeartMath (IHM), a pioneering research organization based in Boulder Creek, California,have shown that cortisol levels can decrease as much as 23 percent, and levels of DHEA, a life-affirming precursor to other vital hormones in the body, can increase 100 percent if we spend as little as three minutes using focused techniques designed to produce such responses.2 The reason why I’m describing these phenomena is because the techniques that are found to have such benefits upon our health are the same ones that create the resilience in our hearts. This is the key to personal resilience in life. The quality of our emotions determines the instructions our hearts send to our brains.
1Lipton, Bruce. “146-150.” The Biology of Belief:Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles. Santa Rosa: Mountain of Love/Elite, 2005. Print.
2The Impact of a New Emotional Self-Management Program on Stress, Emotions, Heart Rate Variability, DHEA and Cortisol Intergrative Physiological and Behavorial Science. 2nd ed. Vol. 33. 1998. 151-170. Print.
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Excerpted from Resilience from the Heart: the Power to Thrive in Life’s Extremes by Gregg Braden. Copyright © 2015 (Hay House).
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40 responses to “How Our Emotions Affect Our Health”
Thank You Gregg, it was a perfect time for me to read this information. It helped me tremendously, keep up the good work.
yes intially we were not knowing after seeing this info we also satrted telling our way to universe. thanq Gregji
Thanks for your insights!!! What do you think is the best way to shift from negative thoughts to positive thoughts?
~~~~every thought we have…Good or Bad..negative or positive is our reflection of what we are here to transform the negative and opportunity of our perspectives in whatever displeases us as an opportunity for ONE to find balance and HARMONY~~like what ever we JUDGE and not have UNDERSTANDING of one another is our own mirror to discover in our many past life times of not having understanding to finally have closure and restore harmony in the human body..~~~
I have often worked on clients…for body balancing and used the best essential oils available at that moment knowing that every other person connected to my client in front of me…is connected to many others through cellular connection and or ancestors that are also benefiting from the qualities of healing by the essential oils that is used…It usually took only three times for these clients to return to me…and witness their whole lives turn for the better…angry men…now is happier and kinder…..then sexually abused men now is experiencing a happy loving relationship…etc…etc..etc..
The essential oils have the ability to heal the spiritual body, the emotional body, the mental body, the etheric body and lastly the physical body.~~is the last manifestation of their healing cycle…
which I need not even need to address the many past lifetimes of “humanKARMAdrama”.~~essential oils have been the healing panacea…as the book of Genesis also states the the herbs and trees of the world…(MOTHER EARTH PROVIDES )will be a healing of all nations.
Understanding the value of essential oils..I was using it freely and generously on clients during my 1500 hours of apprentice..work to get my therapy license..in Hawaii..my specialty has been to identify and release the emotional body..without needing to say or hear of the many stories behind their traumas….by using APPLIED KINESIOLOGY techniques…
This article made me realize that if one can absorb what ever happens at the point of our heart through love, instead of letting it go to our head for an action is the simplest way to halt the effects of that action on our physiology. I love the simplicity of it!
Thank you Gregg, it is the best way to shift all thinks and things negative thoughts to positive thoughts, and instantly i sent this information of the universe for helping me and us
likewise, thank you greg
Thank you, Gregg, for sharing this research based information, and crediting Dr. Lipton, and you DO keep good company. Other researchers in this field are Dr. Barbara Fredrickson (Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive), and Martin Seligman (Flourish).
Excellent article.
Interestingly, this is why I was asked to teach meditationat a Canadian hospital to chronic pain patients, in groups and individually! High correlation behind mental state and the experience of pain – I have had incredible feedback from patients, many of whom had never meditated in their lives.
Fantastic post. World is changing. One person at a time. One less Hury soul at a time. <3
Hi Gregg- Great post. I have studied metaphysics for the better part of 20 years, and am always questioning where the balance is between feeling legitimate feelings and practicing positive attitude affirmations. Obviously meditation is beneficial for our centering, but I feel there is a gap in metaphysical conversations about how to let ourselves feel sadness, fear, anger, joy, grief etc. As an addict in long term ecovery, I, myself know the confusion of trying to talk over, stuff away and medicate pain. Where is the line between wallowing in self pity, and genuine grief? Is there a point where we try to meditate or shame away our emotional guidance system? I would love your feedback. Thanks!
Yes its true emotions and diseases are interconnected, read more at …
http://twinklet8.blogspot.in/2014/10/emotions-and-diseases_8.html
Hi Gregg,
I want to thank you for your research. I am a medical doctor and an author of a book on positive visualization and materialization of wishes and dreams. I read your books and I think you have done a great job. I am a big fan of yours and I hope to meet you soon in person as well.
Divine Message…Less Stress ….Slow Down Milagros and Friends…
Great! That Study !Thanks Hortensia E. Nunez
Great article Greg, thanks
Wow. I just recently had this same realization. As a person dealing with bipolar disorder, emotions and moods have been central in my life.
Amazing
I really want to read a book about this
Simply amazing!
You’re my kind of guy Gregg! So delighted you have shared this powerful and important awareness of how our emotions of the heart work. I teach Women’s Studies and will be using your books (not sure which one yet) to emphasize how women’s hearts, feelings, conditioning of compassion, must be fully embraced. Do you recommend a particular book for this kind of lecture?
Greetings, I have read many of your books and have listened to your lectures OVER AND OVER on youtube. YOU are my favorite author on this topic. The Divine Matrix is so profound!! Thank you for continueing to be an outstanding teacher, speaker and author. Wishing you C.H.I.=Comfort, Humor and Inspiration.
here is more about how EMOTIONS affect our health ..pay attention to the feelings of your
body and just find a way to balance it…with color, music of food item which has to do with proper
chemical balancing….sometimes all it takes for chemical balancing is one square inch of green leaf..
herb…we AMERICANS over dose and eat too much of what we think is good for us…yet sometimes all
it takes is a small serving of it…everyone’s personality and taste is different…so what is good for
one’s own balance depends on what your five elements are…
INSIGHTS TO FENGSHUI …..describes your five elements via your birth chart of 8 elements shown.
Grazie mille greggy. My mission is bring a bit pf awareness as many children as possible. They are our future. How do I do this? I need inspiration from the divine. +393381013659
[…] then you are a ticking time bomb. Gregg Braden wrote an article that you should check out about The Effects of Stress. When I am stressed I will sometimes do Yoga, which I have talked about in a previous post. Figure […]
The Human genoma has been designed for dwelling in a safe, harmonious and enjoyful environnment, not for the destructive social environment most humans live in. That’s why we are responsable for the material World we live in.
Interesting information. Thank you.
I have an anxiety disorder and have anxiety attacks and am also bipolar so this information is helpful id like to know more
Hi Gregg. I am interestd in reading. More about you…
Did you spend time teen to adult years in Denver, by chance..
I grew up with Gregg Braden down my street..your kind face reminds me of Gregg…
A wonderpost.In this age and in the present world where we all seem to be in rat-race the information given has an immediacy and relevance to shape our day to day lives.A must-read for all.i
Our way of life and living has to be reformed and changed.Why?The answer is adressedrilliantly in this post.
Thank you Gregg! I wish such information was taught at schools. Hope someday it will be so. Tried to post the link to the article on Facebook, but it did not allow
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Thank you Gregg ! Trying So Hard to Stay Positive when the going gets very Stressfull . …We All Love your Wisdom <3
Thanks for such a knowledgeable information that has evolved me out of delimma.
Informative and useful post Gregg
Thank YOU ! Gregg,
You have such a profound way of letting us know that WE get to choose. Love that.
Thank you my superstar ❤️
Gregg has the writing gift of saying so much in so few sentences. Life times of seeking wisdom and true spiritual knowledge. Be Blessed