Emotions…The Heart of the matter

Welcome to my blog! I am honored and blessed to have you visit my new website and blog today. I hope this finds you well. I have to be honest and tell you that writing this first volume of the blog has been really difficult, and I questioned whether this is for me. It brought to the surface some feelings of inadequacy and fear that I have not felt in a long time. It’s amazing how negative emotions can convince us that we are not good enough to do something, even though we know that we have something to share that may help others. I am thankful that through a lot of prayer and encouragement I was able to overcome my fears and continue!

In honor of February being heart month, I want to talk about the connection between your emotions and your heart. Of course you know that your heart is a vital organ, but did you know that controlling your emotions helps keep your heart healthy? In fetal development the heart forms first and begins to beat prior to the brain developing. God’s original design and his greatest commandment to “love others” suggest just how important the heart is. In fact, the magnetic field of the human heart is so powerful it can be measured several feet from the body. If your emotions play such an important role in your overall health, the question is…How are you taking care of your heart?

When I think back to some of the most difficult times in my life with regard to my physical health, I cannot help but consider what was happening to my heart, emotionally. The same is true for times when I was struggling with an emotional trauma or hurt. There were some definite physical symptoms that plagued me. I could see a distinct correlation between emotional stress and my physical health. Complicating things further was my attitude about what I was experiencing. I unfortunately had no idea of the role of the subconscious mind in my wellness. When you are going through a difficult time it is easy to feel like you have no control, but I now know that no matter the situation – you do have control. And knowing that you can control your own emotions can make a huge difference in your ability to recover and move forward in life.

If you are in the middle of an emotional or physical trauma today, I would like to encourage you that you can make a difference just by keeping a positive attitude and controlling your self-talk. Here are a few reasons why it is important for you to control your thoughts.

The moment you hold this negative thought in your mind, the biochemistry of the brain is altered. You release cortisol and adrenaline – which are stress hormones. Your immune system is weakened and the actions of white blood cells is inhibited, which increase your chance of infection and can promote weight gain. All of this, from just one negative thought. We form over sixty thousand thoughts per day. Can you imagine the havoc you are causing your body if your thoughts are mostly negative? On the other hand, positive emotions can boost your immune system and actually increase the brain’s ability to make good decisions. So I ask again…How are you taking care of your heart?

Here are a few things that you can begin doing today to ensure that you are taking care of your heart emotionally:

• Slow down and experience life
  No matter what you are doing, slow down and experience it. Be present in all situations.

• Experience Gratitude
  Make a list of the things that you are grateful for daily. Be specific!

• Stop all negative self-talk today
  Spend time in prayer, meditation or quiet time.

• Decrease the amount of stress in your life
  This is easier said than done. I will elaborate on some very specific ways to do this in my next blog.

I have truly enjoyed sharing with you today and look forward to next time. God Bless!