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Stress Management: Give Your Heart Flowers

Did you know that an angry outburst can double your chance of a stroke? Or quadruple your risk of triggering a heart attack?

A study highlights the dangers to your health from a single angry outburst. The fallout appears to be quick—within 2 hours. That’s not surprising, as anger revs up the nervous system and releases a flood of stress hormones.

The result is a wash of cortisol and adrenaline that shrink your arteries, raises your pressure and pulse, and make your blood sticky. No wonder your body rebels!

The good news is that there are some very effective strategies to keep you calm and your blood vessels happy.

  • Did you know that a meditation practice can reduce the risk of a heart attack by 48%?
  • Or that yoga can cut episodes of irregular heart beats by 45%?
  • Even exposure to nature has been shown to have a relaxing effect with measurable health benefits.

Keeping your heart healthy requires much more than attention to cholesterol. A daily practice of whatever helps you manage stress will lower your emotional thermostat and prevent a boil-over when the inevitable drama unfolds. You’ll feel better…and so will your heart.

Let’s start now: Feel free to relax while viewing these beautiful flowers!

References:

Study on Anger and Heart Health

Stress Reduction in the Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

 

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