Overview
The stress of day-to-day living can be challenging for anyone. Finding out you have an arrhythmia and learning to live with and manage the condition can cause even more stress. You may go through some emotional changes that can affect your relationships and overall well-being. It is important to remember that these challenges are very common and that there are healthy and effective ways to manage stress. The goal is to learn life-management skills to prevent further problems and to improve your overall quality of life.
Stress awareness
Everyone experiences stress. A certain amount of stress is normal. It helps us grow and achieve our goals. But, stress can also have a negative effect on our health and well-being and make us feel out of balance.
Stress is caused by many situations and also involves how we react to those situations. People are affected by stress in different ways. Some people feel like they’re being stretched to the breaking point, like a rubber band ready to snap. For others, stress causes physical symptoms like muscle tension or a fast heartbeat. Stress can also cause mental and emotional responses as you respond to the challenges and frustrations in life.
Effective stress management is important, especially if you have an arrhythmia. Stress management involves using skills and coping exercises to control your reaction to stress. These skills can help you have a more positive, healthy and meaningful quality of life.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
The first step in stress management is to know which situations and things cause you the most stress, and then learn ways to deal with each one. There are practical ways to manage your physical, mental and behavioral reactions to stress. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches you skills to change your thinking and help you manage your reactions to stressful people and situations. The following basic CBT strategies can help you get started.
Physical Reaction to Stress
The first step in CBT is to learn how your body reacts to stress. Some common physical symptoms of stress are headaches, muscle tension, shortness of breath, racing or pounding heart, stomach problems, aches and pain and fatigue.
How can I manage physical symptoms of stress?
Relaxation Techniques
Relaxation is a way to reduce the effects of stress on your body and mind. These techniques may also help improve your arrhythmia.
Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing
When you focus on and deepen your breathing, it helps you stay calm during stressful situations. Start by placing one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest. Breathe in slowly, allowing your stomach to expand with each breath. The hand on your stomach should move more than the hand on your chest. You can breathe through your mouth or nose. Practice this exercise daily for 15 to 20 minutes.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Focus on taking turns tensing and relaxing each muscle group in your body. This helps you find the tension in your body and replace it with a relaxed feeling. Do not tighten painful muscles. Practice this exercise daily for 20 minutes. With time, you’ll be able to combine muscle groups and complete the relaxation faster.
Autogenic Relaxation
Autogenic relaxation uses visual imagery and body awareness. Repeating words or suggestions in your mind reduces stress and helps you relax. One way to practice this technique is to focus on feelings of heaviness and warmth in your hands and feet.
Guided Imagery
Guided imagery is a healthy use of daydreaming. Imagine yourself in a calm, peaceful place. As you relax, try to use as many senses as you can, including smell, sound, sight, touch and taste. Imagining yourself in a calming place first can often help you deal with stressful situations.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness means paying attention "on purpose". The mind wanders with all kinds of thoughts, including negative ones that reinforce negative emotions. Mindfulness involves moving your thoughts from negative things to something positive, like relaxed breathing. This helps create a calm place in your mind. The focus is on the simple breath, which lets thoughts come and go.
Cognitive Reaction to Stress
Cognitive refers to how your mind reacts to stress – how stress affects your thoughts.
What are some cognitive symptoms of stress?
Stress can come from the way you think about things. How you think about stress affects your ability to cope with the stress. It’s really not the situation or thing that causes stress that directly leads to stress, but instead, how you think about the stressor. Your body does not know the difference between an imagined threat and a real threat. Thoughts that cause the most stress are usually knee-jerk, automatic, negative and unrealistic.
How can I manage cognitive symptoms of stress?
Identify automatic (unrealistic) thoughts.
When you are in a stressful situation, pay attention to any upsetting or unrealistic thoughts you have. Write down your thoughts. For example: "I had some rapid heart beats today so I know my heart is in the worst shape possible. There’s no way that I can cope."
Identify common cognitive distortions related to the thought.
Ask yourself if you are distorting your thinking or if your thinking is unrealistic. For example: "Telling myself that because I had some rapid heartbeats, my heart is in such bad shape, is jumping to a conclusion."
"Thinking there is no way to cope is all-or-nothing thinking, and that’s not realistic."
Challenge negative thoughts. Replace them with rational (realistic) thoughts.
This does not mean you should ignore potential threats. Instead, it means you should focus on rational thinking. When you have a negative thought, write down more realistic ones. With practice, you can get better at changing your thinking. Give yourself positive affirmations by telling yourself you’ve done a good job. For example: "My doctor says I’m doing well, and I had a good cardiac checkup recently." "I don’t like the rapid heartbeats, but I have been able to cope with them before, and I can cope with them now." "It’s getting better each time I relax when I feel stressed."
Behavioral Reaction to Stress
What are some behavioral symptoms of stress?
Your thoughts can affect the way you feel and act. The behavioral part of stress management refers to what you do to reduce stress and anxiety. Behavioral coping strategies can be unhealthy and ineffective if they reduce stress and anxiety in the short run, but end up increasing stress and anxiety over time. Unhealthy behaviors can include:
Checking behaviors and hypervigilance
These can include checking your pulse and heart rate, touching your chest and routinely asking for reassurance.
- Avoidance behaviors – avoiding situations that may cause your heart to beat faster.
- Procrastination – postponing activities or appointments with your doctor.
- Poor sleep and nutrition.
- Lack of physical and pleasurable activities.
What are some healthy ways to manage behavioral symptoms of stress?
There are effective behaviors that can reduce your stress and help you cope with your arrhythmia. Practicing these will take motivation and commitment on your part, but the rewards are well worth the time and effort. Here are some steps to take:
Reduce checking behaviors and hypervigilance
Make a list of the checking behaviors you have. Keep track of how often and when you do them. Try to reduce both the behavior and the frequency by paying less attention and "flowing with the anxiety" that you may have.
Reduce avoidance behaviors
Keep a record of behaviors and activities that you avoid. Explore your thoughts about avoidance behaviors and try to eliminate these by replacing them with healthy behaviors and activities. Talk to your doctor about the behaviors you do need to avoid.
Tackle procrastination
Challenge your thinking about procrastination. Waiting until you feel more motivated might not work. Adopt a "just do it" attitude.
Improve sleep and nutrition
Practice good sleep hygiene. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Eat a well-balanced diet. The right amount of sleep and a proper diet help improve your physical, mental and emotional health.
Take part in more physical and pleasurable activities
Talk to your doctor to create a personalized exercise program. Choose an activity you like, and exercise regularly at a convenient time. Regular physical activity improves mood and decreases anxiety. Give yourself permission to play and do things you enjoy.
Improving your quality of life
Stress management can help improve the quality of your life, but there are additional steps you can take.
Develop relationships
Spending time with people you care about and who care about you is important to your well-being. Relationships also help your physical health. Loving relationships are important to a satisfying life.
Find meaning and purpose in life
Having a sense of purpose in life plays a role in your overall health and can help you deal with your physical health. Think about and live by what is meaningful in your life. Live with gratitude, acceptance and hope. Spiritual growth is a life journey.
Treating arrhythmia is important. But it is more important to treat your whole self — mind-body and spirit.
Your healthcare team is eager to help you. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Learning preventive life management strategies will help you deal with stress related to your arrhythmia and also improve your overall quality of life.
