This blog, written by Jenna Prada M.Ed., was first published at Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities and is reposted here with their permission. It has been edited for Sadar Psychological’s audience.
Many people assume that a steady, consistent heartbeat is ideal. However, a healthy heart has slight variations in the time between beats. This variation is called Heart Rate Variability (HRV). The heart speeds up slightly when your child inhales and slows down when they exhale. This flexibility is positive as it shows that their nervous system is adaptable to their body’s changing needs. High HRV indicates a more resilient, adaptable system, while low HRV suggests that the body is under stress or strain.
HRV and Well-Being
Think of HRV as a measure of “emotional fitness.” Just as physical fitness helps athletes perform better under pressure, “HRV fitness” can help us navigate the stresses of learning and social interactions more effectively.
HRV can help a person manage stress and emotional regulation—two areas that can be particularly challenging for young children and those with any mental health diagnosis.
A higher HRV is associated with better emotional regulation, improved focus, and enhanced ability to handle stress. For a person struggling with learning or psychological challenges, these skills can be game-changers in both academic and social situations.
Measuring and Improving HRV
HRV is measured using simple, non-invasive devices that clip onto a finger or an earlobe. Many smartwatches and fitness trackers now include HRV monitoring as well and are appropriate for an overview of HRV fitness if not for therapeutic use.
Still, measuring is just the start. The real power lies in improving HRV through biofeedback techniques allowing the patient to see or hear feedback as their HRV improves. These techniques pair breathing exercises and mindfulness practices that help synchronize breathing and heart rhythm with software that provides real time HRV data. As the patient adjusts in response to that data, they balance their nervous system to achieve a state referred to as “coherence.”
Benefits of HRV Training
Improving HRV through biofeedback and breathing exercises can offer the following benefits for patients:
- Enhanced focus and attention: By learning to regulate their physiological state, many find it easier to concentrate on tasks.
- Higher confidence: As people learn to regulate their HRV, they feel empowered to manage their emotions.
- Better emotional regulation: HRV training can help patients recognize and manage their emotions more effectively.
- Improved stress management: Higher HRV is associated with better stress resilience, helping people cope with academic and social challenges.
- Potential Academic Improvements: As focus and stress management improve, many students see positive impacts on their academic performance.
- Increased Self-Awareness: HRV training can help people become more attuned to their body’s signals, supporting overall self-regulation.
By improving this key physiological measure, people can build the emotional regulation and stress management skills they need to thrive.
Remember, HRV training is not a magic solution, but rather a valuable tool in a comprehensive approach to supporting people. Combined with appropriate educational strategies and support, HRV training can help develop resilience and self-regulation skills that will serve patients well throughout their lives.
Try It At Home
This is an example of controlled belly breathing, an exercise that can help improve HRV over time.
- Lie down and place a hand or a stuffed animal on your belly.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose, making their belly rise so that your stuffed animal rises up.
- Then, breathe out slowly through your mouth, feeling your belly fall.
- Repeat for a few minutes, encouraging slow, steady breaths.
Pro Tip: One breath approximately every 10 seconds is an ideal pace for many. To achieve the highest possible levels of coherence, most people find that a slightly shorter inhale (about 4 seconds) and a slightly longer exhale (6 seconds) creates coherence in the nervous system.