Mental wellness can affect your heart. Stress, depression, anxiety, anger, and social isolation can affect your cardiovascular health. Over time, there will be certain physiologic effects on the body such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, reduced blood flow to the heart, and heightened levels of cortisol.

There are simple ways to promote mental wellness and reduce stress in your life, which will help you manage your heart health:

1. Regular exercise.
When you start moving you may have more self-confidence, experience better sleep, see a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety and have the energy to engage in more social interaction and activities.

2. Practicing mindfulness.
This is a basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not be overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around us. Mindfulness can be practiced through meditation, utilizing physical relaxation techniques, and breathing exercises.

3. Connecting with others to reduce social isolation.
Meaningful social interactions and support may act as a preventive measure for the heart by reducing chronic stress and unhealthy coping strategies, which are often associated with loneliness. You can try:

• Developing a new hobby
• Volunteering in the community
• Joining a book club, gardening club, hiking club, exercise class or sports team
• Enrolling in a course to learn a new skill
• Connecting online with family and old or new friends

4. Getting professional help for mental wellness.
If you continue to find it challenging to manage your stress or are experiencing symptoms of depression and/or anxiety, it may be time to seek professional support and help.