Dramatic global changes are happening today at a faster rate than ever before in human history. The
speed of
these changes is contributing to the largest rise in numbers of people experiencing depression today.
Many
people feel so much pressure and anxiety about the future that it puts them in a state of overload. When
your emotions can’t keep up with everything, your emotional system jams up and then signs off in
resignation. The strain becomes a constant burden that eventually turns into a chronic state of
low-grade
depression.
This can cause ongoing imbalances in the hormonal, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, digestive, and immune systems, even in people with mild depression. The imbalances can result in ongoing fatigue, sleep problems, irritability, poor concentration, difficulty making decisions, weight gain or loss, and the loss of pleasure in daily activities.
Ongoing depression causes biochemical and neurological imbalances that affect the way you feel about
yourself and the way you think about things. A state of dis-ease keeps stress signals turned on between
your
heart and brain, which alters the neurotransmitters and hormones getting released in your body,
affecting
your perceptions and moods. If those stress signals and neurochemical changes become continuous, your
brain
thinks this is your new normal state and resets itself to lock in the pattern. Then no matter what you
do,
it’s hard to feel better. You may suffer silently; reach for solace from friends, religion, or self-help
methods; or try therapy or medications. You may try to bury your distress with overwork or stimulants.
But
the depression won’t release—until you set a new pattern.
Depression is a leading cause of disability in our stress-focused society. Rates of depression have been doubling every ten years—especially in affluent countries. This trend has implications for physical health as well since depressed people have a much greater risk for other illnesses, including cognitive decline, cancer, and heart disease. The link between depression and heart disease is not a coincidence.
Depression is a “dis-ease” of the heart, of emotions associated with the heart. Unresolved stress
represses
our emotional energy, which leads to a feeling of compression, which accumulates into depression as our
connection with our spirit seems lost. Feeling depressed inhibits your ability to connect with your true
self—and the outside world.
Much of the research underlying HeartMath tools and techniques measures heart rate variability (HRV)
since
it is such an important indicator of autonomic nervous system function. When people become depressed,
they
begin to feel their world closing in. As things begin to overwhelm them, they feel less flexible and
adaptable. Their hearts undergo the same experience. “Reduced HRV” is the term for a heart rate pattern
or
heart rhythm pattern that does not have the flexibility and adaptability it once had. HeartMath research
shows that a healthy HRV can be restored and many types of depression lifted through the use of
HeartMath
tools.
HeartMath tools help people reconnect with their core heart feelings and intuitive heart intelligence.
By
practicing the HeartMath tools, you will be able to shift your control to your heart. You will be able
to
manage your emotions, be responsible for your own energies, and build a bridge between your mind and
heart.
Instead of lingering in depression, you will become the architect of a new sense of hope and power
within
yourself. You will begin to live your core values, rather than just wishing you could.
HeartMath techniques are designed to help you take charge of stress triggers, lift depressive feelings,
and
improve your overall emotional well-being. You learn to maintain self-compassion, even in stressful
situations, and begin to replace depleting thoughts with your heart’s loving guidance. Your heart will
always push your best interests to the forefront.
Through coherence-building, meaningfulness can be added to your heart intent to create the power needed
to
release subconscious emotional resistances and depression. Mental determination won’t change emotional
energies that can haunt you. However, meaningful intent from the coherent heart can transform emotional
storage banks of despair, hopelessness, and other painful emotions.
