Stress and anxiety can become a significant factor in our health, longevity, performance, and overall quality of our lives. I'll never forget the day, about 30 years ago, when my doctor told me that if I didn't change my circumstances, my circumstances would cause my demise. I had some pretty severe stomach issues at the time, and she was very concerned with my endoscopy results from test to test.

I've come to learn that my health status was less about the circumstances of my life and more about how I was managing my emotions. Of all the formulas I had learned in school, the most important was one I learned years later: E+R=O; Event plus Response equals Outcome. Change your response, change your Outcome. Voila!

The two images below show a key health measure—HRV, or heart rate variability—that is considered an all-cause mortality measure today.

HRV is the pattern created by the changes from one heartbeat to the next. You can see the erratic signal in the image on the left when feeling stressed (worry, frustration, anxiety, anger, overwhelm) and orderly in the image on the right when feeling grateful or another heart quality such as care, appreciation, and compassion. Today, we understand that the heart makes many decisions independently and that we can optimize those decisions by optimizing our emotional state and this signal from heart to brain.

HeartMath® is the company that has researched stress and anxiety and the impact each has on us, as well as techniques and technology that reduce stress on demand, for over 30 years. The HeartMath techniques have been taught in major hospitals and universities around the globe, within some of the country's largest companies and organizations, within police departments, the Navy Seals, world leaders, elementary, middle school, and high schools, and so on.

Doc Childre, founder of HeartMath, said, "The benefit is like a time-release capsule." In other words, the benefits grow in time. You can also say this about Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and resilience. As we learn to manage our emotions instead of allowing our emotions to manage us, we increase both EQ and resilience, which are critical factors in our health, success, and all areas of our lives. HeartMath developed the techniques that get us back in the driver's seat and increase our EQ and resilience.

I learned about HeartMath over 20 years ago while researching EQ (Emotional intelligence). I became a HeartMath Certified Coach in 2003 and have loved coaching others all across the U.S. ever since to learn how to sustain the optimal state of heart coherence (sustaining an orderly HRV over time), reduce stress and anxiety on demand, align body, mind, and emotions, optimize health and performance, and choose positive responses in difficult times.

I'm excited to partner with HeartMath in a new way: my new RISE Course. It will be available very soon and includes two options: a self-study option and self-study plus personal coaching.

In the meantime, I want to leave you with the idea that whatever you are experiencing, you can choose an uplifting and regenerative feeling rather than a depleting feeling. Because thoughts chase feelings quicker than feelings chase thoughts—we start with the feeling!

Shift to a renewing feeling and a coherent heart signal to the brain, and everything changes. We gain clarity and confidence and increase resilience as we Pause and ask ourselves when something stressful occurs: What Outcome do I want? Now, choose my response. We all want to create positive outcomes, regardless of our circumstances. Now we can.

We are all a work in progress. I'm still at the tip of the iceberg regarding what is possible, with my heart's intelligence leading the way. I still mess up, and I'm thrilled when I choose a heart-generated response instead of reacting. It's quite the confidence booster and empowering to choose your response and see positive outcomes for yourself and all concerned ripple out into the world.

I get goosebumps as I think about the possibilities for everyone learning to live with their heart's intelligence and intuitive guidance leading the way. It can heal an individual physically and emotionally and optimize potential for a lifetime.

The unfolding of individual healing and openness to change, challenge, and opportunities ripple into the world in a win-win for all humanity and the planet. Just like that time-release capsule, the benefits keep on coming.

(Source: HeartMath®)