Gratitude and HRV

Posted on by Leave a comment

There are a number of articles written based on research conducted by Redwine et al. (2016) which links gratitude to HRV. See Allen (2018) for an example.

EliteHRV (2018) stated that “This line of research began in 1995, when a study found that people feeling appreciation (an emotion related to gratitude) have improved heart rate variability”

As Redwine et al. (2016) state more research needs to be done, however, there is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that practising gratitude can have a positive effect for some.

References

Allen, S 2018, Is Gratitude Good for Your Health?, viewed 3 December 2018, <https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_gratitude_good_for_your_health>.

EliteHRV 2018, HRVcourse onTwitter, viewed 3 Dec 2018, <https://twitter.com/hrvcourse/status/1068150364116004864>.

Redwine, LS, Henry,BL, Pung, MA, Wilson, K, Chinh, K, Knight, B, Jain, S, Rutledge, T, Greenberg,B, Maisel, A & Mills, PJ 2016, ‘Pilot Randomized Study of a GratitudeJournaling Intervention on Heart Rate Variability and Inflammatory Biomarkersin Patients With Stage B Heart Failure’, PsychosomMed, vol. 78, no. 6, 2016 Jul-Aug, pp. 667-76.

How do we know when we are stressing out?

Posted on by Leave a comment

A lot of you would be familiar with the Yerkes Dodson law which “demonstrates an empirical relationship between arousal and performance. It dictates that performance increases with cognitive arousal, but only to a certain point: when levels of arousal become too high, performance will decrease.”  (Wikipedia 2018)

You can find the original Yerkes Dodson paper referenced below (Yerkes & Dodson 1908).

Below we have referenced a diagrammatic representation of this law from Diamond (et al. 2007).

If we draw an imaginary line vertically down the centre of the solid line bell curve, we can conclude that we would want to be on the left side and not the right. If we want to stay on the left hand side we also don’t want to be at peak arousal and performance all the time, as this would be unsustainable and could possibly result in a physical and mental break down. So we want to stay on the left and move up and down the slope to achieve a ‘perform then rest’ sequence. The techniques for moving from ‘perform to rest’ also know as moving from a state of stress to homeostasis, are personal and vast – just Google stress relief and you will find an abundance of ideas.

Some fundamental techniques we should master according to openfit (2018) are:

  • Get more sleep
  • Do more cardio
  • Stress less: regular yoga, stretching, deep breathing, meditation
  • Be flexible with your work outs

However, some for some of us don’t know when we are over doing it and stressing out. That’s when heart rate variability analysis comes in.  By analysing our HRV consistently over a period we can readily identify when we need to slow down or have the capacity to do more.

We of course don’t have to calculate this ourselves, we can use apps from EliteHRV, HRV4Training, ithlete to help us. These apps will give us colour coded trends and scores and after some familiarisation we can put the appropriate strategies in place to rectify any downward trends.

References

Diamond, DM, Campbell, AM, Park, CR, Halonen, J & Zoladz, PR 2007, ‘The Temporal Dynamics Model of Emotional Memory Processing: A Synthesis on the Neurobiological Basis of Stress-Induced Amnesia, Flashbulb and Traumatic Memories, and the Yerkes-Dodson Law’, Neural Plasticity, vol. 2007, no. 2007, p. 3.

openfit 2018, What Is Heart Rate Variability and How Do You Measure It? | Openfit, viewed <https://www.openfit.com/heart-rate-variability?fbclid=IwAR3B3YgWp231xbgyCv4gvTDYsqcNNxrM6di1UxAUBOKwqT-UHJpyL9cuCDs>.

Wikipedia 2018, Yerkes–Dodson law – Wikipedia, viewed <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerkes%E2%80%93Dodson_law>.

Yerkes, RM & Dodson, JD 1908, ‘The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit‐formation’, Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 459-482.

Remote Measurement of Stress via Heart Rate Variability

Posted on by Leave a comment

Whether you are working in transport, operating machinery, programming in cyber security, trading securities, working in essential services or landing the InSight rover on Mars, lapses in concentration can be costly. Daniel McDuff (et al. 2014) conducted research into how our stress can be measured using a camera that captured  heart rate, breath rate and heart rate variability. It was breath rate and heart rate variability that gave accurate measures of stress.

Even though this was conducted in a laboratory situation the potential applications are vast. Anywhere a camera can be mounted, feedback can be received and actions put in place to ensure the best possible decisions are made at a given point in time.

This could be done locally or remotely. For example, a currency trader could receive instant feedback that there is an increased probability that they are likely to make errors and need to take a break for 5 minutes and undertake focused breathing to bring their system back into balance.

Remote feedback can be collected and evaluated from across a room or across a country. For example, a fleet of ambulance drivers could be simultaneously monitored to ascertain whether they have recovered sufficiently from attending a distressing call before being allocated to the next job.

This can all be done currently by using Bluetooth or a wired solution affixed to the person.  However the use of cameras will enable data to be collected and actioned upon much more efficiently, effectively and over longer periods of time.

McDuff, D, Gontarek, S & Picard, R 2014, ‘Remote measurement of cognitive stress via heart rate variability’, Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, vol. 2014, pp. 2957-60.

Stress and Breath

Posted on by Leave a comment

There are many articles on the benefits of focused breathing for stress relief. (CoherenceLLC 2018; Crockett et al. 2016; Tyagi et al. 2014). Practiced every day for 5 minutes in a sequence of breathing in for 4seconds hold for 4 seconds breath out for 4 seconds can bring your system back into balance.

I have seen this on many occasions with my clients, none more striking than with students who were suffering from presentation anxiety. After practicing this technique for a period of time they reported clearer thinking, no more blushing and improved confidence. They also said that if they perceived there to be a stressful situation approaching, their system would automatically kick into the breathing sequence and prevent anxiety from taking hold.

But why does it work? When we inhale our heart rate goes up and when we exhale our heart rate goes down, this is called respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and is measured by heart rate variability.  (Gerritsen &Band 2018). This is important because if we can control our heart rate, we can affect our heart rate variability which we know is a measure of our state of wellbeing.

This is not to say that someone who is suffering from chronic stress or medically diagnosed stress can suddenly switch from a negative state to a positive state. What it does say is that by combining breathing and other techniques we can positively impact our state.

Dr Alan Watkins suggests that “The easiest way to remember this breathing technique is through the BREATHE acronym: Breathe Rhythmically Evenly And Through the Heart Everyday.” (Watkins 2014)

CoherenceLLC 2018, The Science of Coherent Breathing – Complete Document, 2014, viewed <https://coherence.com/science_full_html_production.htm>.

Crockett, JE, Cashwell, CS, Tangen, JL, Hall, KH & Young, JS 2016, ‘Breathing Characteristics and Symptoms of Psychological Distress: An Exploratory Study’, Counseling and Values, vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 10-27.

Gerritsen, RJS & Band, GPH 2018, ‘Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity’, Front Hum Neurosci, vol. 12,

Tyagi, A, Cohen, M, Reece, J & Telles, S 2014, ‘An explorative study of metabolic responses to mental stress and yoga practices in yoga practitioners, non-yoga practitioners and individuals with metabolic syndrome’, BMC Complement Altern Med, vol. 14,

Watkins, A 2014, Coherence : the secret science of brilliant leadership, Kogan Page, London ; Philadelphia.

Team Stress & HRV

Posted on by Leave a comment

Individual coaching using Heart rate variability can be very powerful as we have seen in previous posts. But how does it relate to Teams?

“Team HRV” literally takes the pulse of the team or even the organisation. By doing so this gives team leaders, managers, general managers and even CEOs the ability to respond instantly to signs of stress.

The response may be to slow the team down, apply more pressure or apply a “steady as she goes” approach. This is powerful because you don’t have to wait for an event to occur and apply a remedy. HRV can give predictive information so that the any strategies are proactive not reactive saving time and money

When using team HRV in sport the players understand the direct benefit of this type of protocol. However, in organisations there may not be the same level of willingness to participate due to confidentiality and the fear of “big brother”. This can be easily overcome by making the recording and analysis of the data anonymous.

Which raises the question if it’s anonymous then how do we help those in need? Whilst an individual’s results may be hidden from their manager, this information may be accessible to an independent coach with whom the individual has a relationship. Once again the coach can be proactive and if they see signs of negative trends they can alert the individual and develop strategies accordingly.  Likewise the coach can analyse the teams’ state, contact the manager and suggest certain strategies or highlight the need for caution.

Jason More(2018) from EliteHRV shows on the company’s blog what a typical team dashboard might look like:

Here we can see the team members in the second column (which could be made anonymous) and the relevant measures. The dashboard uses traffic light colours, green: things are going well and you can apply more pressure, yellow: things need to be approached with caution or red: stop and check what’s happening.

The benefit of this kind of insight can be quite extensive, a few examples are:

  • the avoidance or reduction of errors
  • the avoidance or reduction of absenteeism
  • increased motivation
  • analysis of the impact of announcements on individuals
  • longitudinal analysis of the effect of major restructures

It is important to note that HRV captures every stressor that happens in a person’s life, both inside and outside work. Therefore this needs to be taken into account when evaluating the results. A way to address this is to annotate readings with symbols that highlight a major personal event.  This is still important and should not be removed as it will still effect performance.

HRV training is used in sport, both for individuals and teams, and for individuals in business. To my knowledge however, the team dashboard in business is not common but would be an exciting and natural extension of this methodology.

Moore, J 2018, HRV For Teams and Groups, @elitehrv, viewed 19 November, <https://elitehrv.com/team-dash>.

Measuring Stress

Posted on by Leave a comment

We have spoken about Heart Rate variability (HRV), stress and performance in the last few posts. In todays post I want to highlight some ways that you can measure your HRV. To recap, heart rate variability (HRV) is a well-understood phenomenon allowing us to monitor objectively physiological stress (Altini 2018a). If we can monitor stress (good and bad) then we can act before it has a negative impact and use it to improve our performance. (Marcelo Campos 2017)) for more on this.

Now we know why, how do we actually measure it? There are several easy to use devices which measure your HRV either by ear clip, wired finger clip, chest strap, Bluetooth finger clip or your camera phone and now your watch.  Some manufacturers I have used are:

  • EliteHRV (@elitehrv 2018)
  • Hrv4Training (Altini 2018b)
  • Ithlete (@myithlete 2018)
  • Complete Coherence (Watkins 2018)
  • Biocom Technologies (biocomtech.com 2018)

I have also used the Polar V800 for the collection data which I then export and analyse with KUBIOS hrv software.  This export function is no longer available from Polar as they have incorporated the analysis of the data into the watch itself. Their new watch Vantage V (PolarGlobal 2018) still has the optical sesnors on the back of the watch for the collection of heart data but still uses their chest strap for the collection of HRV data to ensure accuracy

 When measuring HRV it is important to:

  • Have accurate data
  • Avoid confounding factors such as coffee or recording after a late night
  • Take a recording first thing in the morning upon waking, at the same time and position eg sitting.
  • Take it 4-5 times a week for 4 – 5 minutes each time.

(Schwellnus et al. 2016) highlights the importance of collecting both subjective and objective data in order to draw meaningful conclusions.  Ensure the platform you choose allows for this.

Next post we’ll talk about HRV and teams.

@elitehrv 2018, Elite HRV – Heart Rate Variability, @elitehrv, viewed <https://elitehrv.com/>.

@myithlete 2018, ithlete heart rate variability training tool, @myithlete, viewed <https://www.myithlete.com/>.

Altini, M 2018a, ‘Heart Rate Variability: a (deep) primer’, hrv4training, 23/11/2017,<http://www.hrv4training.com/1/post/2017/11/heart-rate-variability-a-primer.html>.

Altini, M 2018b, hrv4training, viewed <http://www.hrv4training.com/shop.html>.

biocomtech.com 2018, Health Assessment products with Heart Rate Variability Analysis (HRV), viewed <http://www.biocomtech.com/>.

Marcelo Campos, M 2017, Heart rate variability: A new way to track well-being  – Harvard Health Blog, Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School, viewed 15 November, <https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heart-rate-variability-new-way-track-well-2017112212789>.

PolarGlobal 2018, Polar Vantage V | High-end multisport & triathlon watch for ambitious athletes | Polar Global, viewed 16 November, <https://www.polar.com/en/vantage/v>.

Schwellnus, M, Soligard, T, Alonso, J-M, Bahr, R, Clarsen, B, Dijkstra, HP, Gabbett, TJ, Gleeson, M, Hägglund, M, Hutchinson, MR, Janse Van Rensburg, C, Meeusen, R, Orchard, JW, Pluim, BM, Raftery, M, Budgett, R & Engebretsen, L 2016, ‘How much is too much? (Part 2) International Olympic Committee consensus statement on load in sport and risk of illness’, British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 50, no. 17, pp. 1043-1052.

Watkins, A 2018, Coherence Trainer, viewed <http://www.complete-coherence.com/what-we-do/apps/>.

Mental Health and ANS

Posted on by Leave a comment

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as:

“…a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” (WHO | Mental health: a state of well-being  2014)

Galderisi et al. (2015) builds on this definition and adds a further dimension

“Mental health is a dynamic state of internal equilibrium which enables individuals to use their abilities in harmony with universal values of society. Basic cognitive and social skills; ability to recognize, express and modulate one’s own emotions, as well as empathize with others; flexibility and ability to cope with adverse life events and function in social roles; and harmonious relationship between body and mind represent important components of mental health which contribute, to varying degrees, to the state of internal equilibrium”

In Galderisi’s definition there are a few familiar components, but let’s briefly discuss internal equilibrium. Internal equilibrium is taken to mean bodily equilibrium is achieved when our physiology is in balance. This is important because as Dr Alan Watkins describes it;

“ what is really driving our behaviour is our thinking. And what we think, and how well we think it, is largely determined by our feelings, which are driven by our emotions, which are made up of our physiology.” (Watkins 2014)

So if we know how to manage our physiology we are better positioned to handle life’s different stressors.

The system that is responsible for managing our physiology is the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Fortunately, it is possible to measure the state of our ANS and therefore our mental health by measuring our heart rate variability (HRV).

Measuring our HRV is useful for two reasons; one because sometimes we don’t recognise when we are out of balance and we can, therefore, take steps to manage the situation. Secondly, we can determine which combination of strategies works best to achieve a balanced state.

We’ll talk about our HRV measurement tools in our next post.

Galderisi, S, Heinz, A, Kastrup, M, Beezhold, J & Sartorius, N 2015, ‘Toward a new definition of mental health’, World Psychiatry, vol. 14, no. 2, Jun, pp. 231-3.

Watkins, A 2014, Coherence, 1 edn, Kogan Page Limited

WHO | Mental health: a state of well-being,  2014, World Health Organization, viewed <http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/>.

Survival on a London Trading Floor

Posted on by Leave a comment

Kandasamy et al. (2016) found in their recent research that financial traders interoceptive ability (gut feelings) predicts their profitability and how long they survived in the financial markets.

Specifically, they said:

“Traders in the financial world often speak of the importance of gut feelings for choosing profitable trades. By this they mean that subtle physiological changes in their bodies provide cues helping them rapidly select from a range of possible trades the one that just ‘feels right’. Our findings suggest that the gut feelings informing this decision are more than the mythical entities of financial lore – they are real physiological signals, valuable ones at that.”

One of the key determinants of this success was the traders’ ability to detect their heartbeat. An accurate detection score predicted their profitability. The question then arose as to what predicts heartbeat detection itself? They looked at BMI, heart rate and heart rate variability. Heart rate variability proved more indicative than the other two.

From our point of view, this is further evidence that attending to our physiological as well as our psychological needs is vital in reaching peak performance.

Kandasamy, N., Garfinkel, S. N., Page, L., Hardy, B., Critchley, H. D., Gurnell, M., & Coates, J. M. (2016). Interoceptive Ability Predicts Survival on a London Trading Floor. Scientific reports, 6, 32986. doi:10.1038/srep32986 <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5027524/&gt;

Chronic Stress

Posted on by Leave a comment

In their journal article on chronic stress, Teixeira et al. (2015) conclude that:

“..chronic psychological stress associated with higher levels of cortisol impairs cognitive performance in business executives independently of genders, ..”

Whilst cortisol has many important functions in our body such as controlling our blood pressure and reducing inflammation (Health Direct, 2018) too much for too long can have a negative effect. Echouffo-Tcheugui et al. (2018) found higher cortisol was associated with lower brain size in younger to middle-aged adults.

In order to prevent chronic or long-term stress we need to do a few things:

  1. Understanding what brings your system into balance. This won’t be the same for everyone; running, boxing, meditating, walking or singing?
  2. Understand the signs of chronic stress; headaches, muscle tension, trouble sleeping, irritability, skipping productive parts of your daily routine such as lunch or drinking water.
  3. Measure the state of your system on a regular basis by measuring your Heart Rate Variability (HRV). HRV measurement is an important part of our self-care toolbox.

You don’t start training for a marathon the day before the event, so we need to be proactive in our management of stress.

Renata Roland Teixeira, Miguel Mauricio Díaz, Tatiane Vanessa da Silva Santos, Jean Tofoles Martins Bernardes, Leonardo Gomes Peixoto, Olga Lucia Bocanegra, Morun Bernardino Neto, Foued Salmen Espindola 2015, ‘Chronic Stress Induces a Hyporeactivity of the Autonomic Nervous System in Response to Acute Mental Stressor and Impairs Cognitive Performance in Business Executives’, <https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0119025&gt;

Health Direct 2018, viewed 13 November 2018, < https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/the-role-of-cortisol-in-the-body&gt;

Justin B. Echouffo-Tcheugui, Sarah C. Conner, Jayandra J. Himali, Pauline Maillard, Charles S. DeCarli, Alexa S. Beiser, Ramachandran S. Vasan, Sudha Seshadri 2018, ‘Circulating cortisol and cognitive and structural brain measures’, Neurology, <http://n.neurology.org/content/early/2018/10/24/WNL.0000000000006549&gt;

« Older Entries Recent Entries »