What does it take to have a healthy heart? For your physical heart, it takes living a healthy lifestyle.
What about your emotional heart?
For years, I was so in my head that I was disconnected energetically from my heart. When I was put on the spot or in an argument or asked to give a talk or even answer a question, I could feel my head “detach” from my body and ‘float’ off like a balloon. I was still talking and had no idea what I was saying or what I was thinking.
The worst was afterwards. I felt embarrassed. I couldn’t remember what I said. I didn’t know what had happened.
That was because fear ‘ran’ me for a long time.
Over the years, the impact of this disconnection was making impulsive decisions – many of which I regretted. The problem was the punishing self-talk that came with those kinds of decisions which made me feel worse.
After many years on my self-discovery path, I became aware of that disconnect between my head and heart. I was finally able to make myself whole again. Because I’m so used to being in my head and not considering my emotional self, I keep working at maintaining this connection. It gets easier, especially if I pay attention to my emotions when I’m considering making a change.
Now, when I have important decisions to make, I ‘consult’ my head and heart together. How has that changed me? I make better, thought-out decisions and can trust myself when making them. I don’t experience the punishing self-talk that came with impulsive decision-making. It changed how I think about myself, how I take care of myself and how I take care of others.
If you struggle with heart disease or any other chronic condition, what decisions can you make with your head and heart together such that you can make small changes toward better health for yourself?
To a healthy, happy heart,
Elaine L Stewart, CHC
