Controlling your own emotions is, of course, easier in theory than in actuality.
If your response to stress tends to be higher blood pressure and a faster heart rate, you're probably a naturally "hot reactor", one health expert says.
"You must find ways to calm down and react less forcefully to protect your heart and health.
" But before you can change your behavior, you must become aware of how you behave now.
You may not have emotion-laden responses to more event and situations than you realize.
When you find yourself in a high-response situation, try immediately jotting down what triggers the response such as the event itself, your surroundings, people who are with you: After several weeks of doing this, you'll find that you've become more self-aware.
Then you can begin using the following methods to help you keep your level of arousal in check at anxiety-provoking times.
1.
Try a relaxation technique to short-circuit both the frequency and intensity of your emotional responses.
Simple deep breathing works well for some people.
Or, "reframe frustrations to make them less stressful", another expert suggests! For instance, if you're caught in traffic jam, instead of worrying and cursing, view the delay as an opportunity to say, catch up on your classical music tape or do a challenging crossword puzzle.
Consider keeping a magazine or book in the glove compartment specifically to relieve traffic jam stress.
2.
Eliminate known cardiac risk factors such as smoking; eating high-fat, high-cholesterol foods; drinking to excess; and exercising infrequently.
Less-than-healthy lifestyle habits can be stressful in and of themselves, and imperfect health leaves you more vulnerable to the impact of emotion when you do overreact.
3.
Set attainable short- and long-term goals in work and social activities.
Studies of severely ill patients have shown that when they keep a goal in mind (such as seeing a daughter's wedding or a grandson's graduation from college), they tend to live longer and, in many instances, recover faster from their illness, one well-known health points out.
If you're already healthy, having a goal can keep you going through rough times and allow you to take other setbacks in stride.
4.
Don't be timid about using your social support system--family, friends, community organizations--in times of trouble, rather than feeling sad, you must stoically bear difficulties on your own.
5.
Build periodic breaks into your schedule for holidays, hobbies, or just "letting go.
" Resist the temptation to "work" at a recreational activity instead of just enjoying it; otherwise, the pressure is on and you don't derive the relaxing effects you hoped to.
6.
Don't take tranquilizers or other drugs in an attempt to calm yourself.
In the long run, they become ineffective and may cause dependency and addiction.
If we could control our emotions completely, we'd never yell angrily at our children or spouses and regret it five seconds later.
On the other hand, we'd also never experience the exhilaration that comes after achieving a long-held goal, or the pure strong joy of falling madly in love.
So, absolute emotional control wouldn't be desirable, even if it were possible.
But your heart will thank you if you try to keep your emotional lows from dragging you down to the nadir of sorrow, and if you keep your highs from being too stratospheric too often.
Attempting to stay serenely content each day may, in the long run, help keep the cardiologist away.
If your response to stress tends to be higher blood pressure and a faster heart rate, you're probably a naturally "hot reactor", one health expert says.
"You must find ways to calm down and react less forcefully to protect your heart and health.
" But before you can change your behavior, you must become aware of how you behave now.
You may not have emotion-laden responses to more event and situations than you realize.
When you find yourself in a high-response situation, try immediately jotting down what triggers the response such as the event itself, your surroundings, people who are with you: After several weeks of doing this, you'll find that you've become more self-aware.
Then you can begin using the following methods to help you keep your level of arousal in check at anxiety-provoking times.
1.
Try a relaxation technique to short-circuit both the frequency and intensity of your emotional responses.
Simple deep breathing works well for some people.
Or, "reframe frustrations to make them less stressful", another expert suggests! For instance, if you're caught in traffic jam, instead of worrying and cursing, view the delay as an opportunity to say, catch up on your classical music tape or do a challenging crossword puzzle.
Consider keeping a magazine or book in the glove compartment specifically to relieve traffic jam stress.
2.
Eliminate known cardiac risk factors such as smoking; eating high-fat, high-cholesterol foods; drinking to excess; and exercising infrequently.
Less-than-healthy lifestyle habits can be stressful in and of themselves, and imperfect health leaves you more vulnerable to the impact of emotion when you do overreact.
3.
Set attainable short- and long-term goals in work and social activities.
Studies of severely ill patients have shown that when they keep a goal in mind (such as seeing a daughter's wedding or a grandson's graduation from college), they tend to live longer and, in many instances, recover faster from their illness, one well-known health points out.
If you're already healthy, having a goal can keep you going through rough times and allow you to take other setbacks in stride.
4.
Don't be timid about using your social support system--family, friends, community organizations--in times of trouble, rather than feeling sad, you must stoically bear difficulties on your own.
5.
Build periodic breaks into your schedule for holidays, hobbies, or just "letting go.
" Resist the temptation to "work" at a recreational activity instead of just enjoying it; otherwise, the pressure is on and you don't derive the relaxing effects you hoped to.
6.
Don't take tranquilizers or other drugs in an attempt to calm yourself.
In the long run, they become ineffective and may cause dependency and addiction.
If we could control our emotions completely, we'd never yell angrily at our children or spouses and regret it five seconds later.
On the other hand, we'd also never experience the exhilaration that comes after achieving a long-held goal, or the pure strong joy of falling madly in love.
So, absolute emotional control wouldn't be desirable, even if it were possible.
But your heart will thank you if you try to keep your emotional lows from dragging you down to the nadir of sorrow, and if you keep your highs from being too stratospheric too often.
Attempting to stay serenely content each day may, in the long run, help keep the cardiologist away.