What many people who suffer from atrial fibrillation aren’t aware is that stress is the culprit for most of the episodes. Fortunately, there are numerous steps and habits which will help you reduce stress. As a result, you’re likely to reduce the atrial fibrillation episodes because stress and anxiety feed the symptoms. If you want to learn more about the possible steps towards managing the stress in your life, keep reading.

Tips for Reducing Stress with Atrial Fibrillation

Incorporate a Healthy Diet

Having a healthy and nutrient-dense diet will be beneficial for atrial fibrillation as well as for your overall health. You can reduce the stress levels by embracing some simple healthy daily habits, such as a healthy diet.

There are certain foods which can lower the stress levels, such as spinach, nuts, salmon, oatmeal, asparagus, and berries. Whereas, there are certain foods which can stimulate your nervous system and thus, should be avoided. Such foods are carbs, sugar, and caffeine.

Start Doing Regular Exercise

Doing regular yet moderate physical exercises will help you reduce stress. In fact, regular exercise is key to living with atrial fibrillation. As an atrial fibrillation patient, you can reap many benefits of pursuing an exercise program.

Exercise will slow down your resting heart rate and reduce blood pressure. But this doesn’t mean that you should undertake some cardio or intense workout program. Some of the most commonly recommended exercises are gentle cycling, yoga or brisk walking. Worth mentioning is that you should avoid weight lifting.

Prior to starting with exercise, make sure you know what kind of atrial fibrillation you have. Knowing the exact kind will help you pick a proper set of exercise. So, here are the four types of atrial fibrillation and how to approach your exercise routine:

• People with persistent atrial fibrillation are almost always with an irregular heartbeat. Hence, it’s crucial to pick a gentle, low-impact exercise program.
• Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation patients usually suffer from episodes which come and go. So, they can pick any exercises they want but in one condition- keep it moderate.
• Patients with vagal atrial fibrillation suffer from episodes during or after a meal or resting after exercise. If you’re among these patients, moderate exercise will help you reduce the number of episodes.
• Adrenergic atrial fibrillation patients deal with episodes during the day which are usually triggered by exercise, exertion, or stimulants. For this type of atrial fibrillation, it’s probably best to avoid exercise.

Get Proper Sleep

Having a good and quality sleep is very effective for low-stress levels. Sleep rejuvenates your body and brain. In order to get proper sleep, make sure you prepare your room for sleeping and improve  sleep setting. Adjust the lighting, eliminate all distractions and always keep the phone in another room while sleeping.         

Avoid Self Medicating

Living with atrial fibrillation means that you should be careful about the remedies you take. This also includes herbal remedies and teas which might seem harmless but actually aren’t. Moreover, never mix medications with alcohol. Alcohol can be a trigger for atrial fibrillation.

Be Proactive, Not Reactive

It’s crucial to take an active role in your treatment. This means that you should stay up to date with recent research and treatments available and consult your doctor on a regular basis. Likewise, you can try behavioral training which will provide the necessary techniques to retrain your brain and body for positive effects on your health. Another awesome technique is progressive muscle relaxation. You should simply contract and relax each muscle group one at a time, from your head to your toes or vice versa. Last but not least is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which is  based on a two-way relationship between thoughts and behaviors.