Mental Vitamin #2
- irenechiandetti
- Oct 14, 2025
- 1 min read
When Stress Talks to Your Heart
Calm Your Mind, Protect Your Heart
Researchers found that people with stronger cardiovascular reactions to stress—like spikes in blood pressure or heart rate—also show changes in brain activity. The amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex, areas involved in processing emotions and regulating stress, “light up” during these moments. Over time, exaggerated stress reactions can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
What’s fascinating is the two-way street: the brain influences the body, but the body also shapes the brain. Stress doesn’t just make your heart race; it can trigger inflammation and changes in vascular health, which in turn feed back into brain circuits controlling emotion. This means your daily worries and your arteries are more connected than you might think.
Why It Matters
Understanding this brain–heart dialogue helps scientists design interventions that go beyond medication. For example, emotion regulation strategies—like mindfulness or cognitive reappraisal—could literally protect your arteries by calming the brain. Stress management isn’t only about feeling better; it could prevent disease. Your brain doesn’t just feel stress—it carries it into your body.
By learning to regulate emotions,
you may also be giving your heart the healthiest workout of all.
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