Today's Hot Topic 05/02/18

Our HOT TOPIC this week is relaxation and mindfulness. Do you find that relaxation, mindfulness or meditation helps with your AF? Do you have any de-stressing tips that work for you? Let us know, and also remember that we are here to answer any questions!

[doodle68]

I am pretty sure my P-AF episodes are not so severe since I started accepting they are going to happen, I will survive, and using relaxation methods when one starts in order to calm myself down.

I found because I was breathless and shaking during episodes I panicked which I think may have increased my already high blood pressure and also the severity of the symptoms.

Now, once a more severe episode starts I begin slow deep measured breathing counting the breaths then when I have established a pattern I focus on something to take my mind off the episode and concentrate on making my body feel relaxed not tense.

As bad episodes can last for many hours and I have to carry out some tasks during that time, I do them calmly without rushing still using the measured breathing .

[Hidden in reply to doodle68]

Thank you Doodle for sharing this! It's brilliant that you have found a way to calm yourself during an episode of AF. Measured breathing is great for so many things!

Best wishes

Rachel - AF Association Patient Services

[Kn177yn0ra in reply to doodle68]

This is exactly how I tackle it now after many months of total panic!

[UScore]

My last visit came when I was stuck in a hospital for a non-heart related issue. I had nothing to do but wait. I was very comfortable, and relaxed. I was just watching netflix on my phone to pass the time. In fact when they came round to do obs I was fascinated to see just how low my BP and heart rate were getting each time.

Then I sat up, and bam. AF.

So no, my AF appears to not be triggered by stress. If anything, it happens most when I am relaxed. I seem to be contrary to most people's experiences of AF. I can drink and exercise, it's the calm that gets me.

Instead of meditation perhaps I need to regularly go somewhere where people shout at me for an hour, to ensure I don't get too relaxed.

[10gingercats]

Too much noise, and that is not much noise for me, badly affects my AFib..'flight' as in running away from the noise helps as does deep breathing...not together of course.Diverting my thoughts does not help much.

[Buffafly]

When I have AF what upsets me most is my plans being disrupted and having to make the decision whether to go to hospital or not. I know if I try to carry on slowly with what I want to do I am liable to get chest pain indicating that my heart is not coping (I know my arteries are fine) so I am forced to rest! Then I have to make the decision whether to go to hospital or not because after all it could be an artery spasm or a tiny clot. So I make a worst case scenario plan eg when my heart went into AF late on Christmas Eve my husband and I decided that if I was still in AF the next day the other cooks in the family would have to follow the plan I'd made and cook dinner while I rested so as not to bring on angina, but if I felt really ill during the night we'd have to go then. So then I relaxed, my heart slowly calmed and by morning I was OK.

So I would say if you have a plan that makes you feel more secure eg going to hospital if you have chest pain, going to hospital if your rate goes above a certain speed, making someone helpful aware that you are not well, saving a favourite TV series to distract you while are in AF, whatever, it helps you to be calmer.

[Finvola]

I took a short on line Mindfulness course last year, run by FutureLearn and found it to be of immense benefit. Two of the short calming exercises can be done anywhere and make irritating waits - eg dentist or GP - a reasonably pleasant experience. They just involve controlled breathing and calm awareness.

FutureLearn are repeating the Mindfulness course at the moment - it just started today and is free. Anyone can join in and move through the easy exercises at their own speed.

It has helped me greatly to cope with the stresses of arrhythmias - and nosebleeds.

[sportscoach]

As a coach I have for the last 4 years worked with a sports psychologist its amazing the power of the mind, as mentioned in many posts on this site how the mind links with the vagal nerve and its influence on so many functions of the body many of which are still a mystery to medical science.

There are a number of books available on the power of the mind and its relationship with healing the body........

One book that is quite useful is "The Healing Power of the Breath: Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Enhance Concentration, and Balance Your Emotions: Simple Techniques to ... Concentration, and Balance Your Emotions"

Our local Buddhist church run some amazing courses on mindfulness, meditation etc, it is well known fact how Buddhist monks can reduce their heart rates to 30 BPM through meditation.

Its strange from my own prospect during a bout of AF any anxiety I had disappears and I feel pretty normal probably because I'm not walking around worrying about triggers etc

Doctors treat the physical condition but don't look outside the box at the mental issues these conditions produce, I believe a 2 pronged approach would be hugely beneficial in many cases with both the physical and mental conditions treated.

[secondtry]

I think mindfulness and meditation are part of the new lifestyle most AFers should adopt. The more anxiety you get the better as that signifies a strong mind, train it (e.g. focussing on 4 positives each day) and you have a much more effective tool than others.

I would also have to add prayer and yoga/Qigong style exercises into the equation; not for everyone I appreciate but they have helped me greatly in combatting anxiety at any time, not just re AF.

The good news with all these suggestions there is no downside or side effects.

[Bud5 in reply to secondtry]

I pray alot and it helps, not for everyone but studies also prove it helps.

[razorgirl]

Relaxing seems to help. Keeping busy and not worrying about them helps. Some deep breathing.

[Hidden]

After I was first diagnosed with a-fib in November 2015, I could not get a good night's rest for fear the a-fib would return. I always get my episodes in the middle of the night, and they last about an hour or two. Only one lasted three and a half hours. My fear was getting stuck in the hospital again, and undergoing tests, etc. Once my doctor and I established a plan for me to only go to the hospital if my heart rate gets over 140 and/or I have been in a-fib for longer than 4 hours, I felt better. I have since learned to relax more during my episodes. I bear down, cough, drink some water, go from laying down to sitting up, back down again. Before I know it, my heart goes back to "normal". It definitely helps that I have my husband there to comfort me and to get me through it.

[Mejulie69]

In an indirect way. Stress increases my adrenaline. The adrenaline kicks me into AF. Moderate the stress and I am less likely to go into AF.