Latest / From Recovery to Wellness | Life After Heart Surgery, Aneurysm Repair & Cardiac Healing / Emotional Wellness & Mindset

Transcript

Emotional Wellness & Mindset · From Recovery to Wellness | Life After Heart Surgery, Aneurysm Repair & Cardiac Healing

• 0:07
  Welcome back to the podcast where we focus on
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  real life tools, education and support for heart
• 0:13
  health recovery and long -term wellness. I'm
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  Arnita, your host. And today we're talking about
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  something that often goes unspoken in heart recovery,
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  emotional wellness and mindset after heart surgery
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  or a cardiac event. The focus is often on the
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  physical, but the emotional side of recovery
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  is just as important. Today, we'll talk about
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  anxiety management, journaling, coping strategies,
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  and building a support network so you don't have
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  to navigate this journey alone. So let's start
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  here. Feeling anxious after a heart event is
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  very common. You may find yourself thinking,
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  what if something happens again? Is this feeling
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  normal or am I safe? These thoughts can come
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  and go and they can feel overwhelming. Here's
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  the important part. Anxiety after heart surgery
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  is a natural response, not a weakness. A few
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  gentle ways to manage anxiety are slow, deep
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  breathing, grounding techniques such as focusing.
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  on the present moment and limiting information
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  overload. Even small practices can help bring
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  your body back to a sense of calm. One of the
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  most powerful tools for emotional recovery is
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  journaling. Your emotional well -being journal
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  in your toolkit is designed to help you process
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  thoughts and feelings, release fears and frustrations.
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  and reflect on your progress. You don't need
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  to write perfectly. You just need to be honest.
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  Some simple prompts you can use are, today I
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  feel, and then complete that sentence of how
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  you're really feeling, or what's been on my mind
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  lately, or one thing I'm proud of today is. Journaling
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  creates space for clarity, healing, and understanding.
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  There is no one size fits all to approach coping.
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  So we will address coping strategies and find
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  what works for you. And it doesn't have to be
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  the ones that I suggest. You can create your
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  own. But here are a few that many people find
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  helpful. gentle movement or walking, listening
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  to calming music, spending time in quiet reflection
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  or prayer, engaging in activities that bring
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  you comfort. Now, the key is to find what helps
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  you feel grounded. Again, if these suggestions
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  are not appropriate for you, discover something
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  that may work well for you. And remember, it's
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  okay if what you need changes from day to day.
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  Now, another support or having support networks
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  because you don't have to do this alone. Recovery
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  is not meant to be done in isolation. Support
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  can come from family and friends, support groups.
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  online communities, or healthcare providers.
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  Talking about what you're feeling can reduce
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  the weight you carry, and sometimes just knowing
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  someone understands can make all the difference.
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  Now, using your toolkit for emotional support,
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  let's bring it all together. Your emotional wellbeing
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  journal is more than a place to write. It's a
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  space to check in with yourself. It helps you
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  notice emotional patterns, track how you're feeling
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  over time, and staying connected to your healing
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  journey. This is part of your recovery system,
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  not separate from it. Did you know emotional
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  stress and anxiety can impact heart health by
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  affecting blood pressure, heart rate, and overall
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  recovery? Taking care of your emotional well
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  -being is part of taking care of your heart.
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  Now, here's something to reflect on this week.
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  A question to ponder. Ask yourself, how am I
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  truly feeling right now? And have I given myself
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  space to acknowledge it? Awareness is the first
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  step towards healing. I also want to share with
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  you the food of the week. Let's talk about this
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  week's heart -supported food as celery. Celery
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  is known for supporting healthy blood pressure,
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  providing antioxidants, and helping with hydration.
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  Celery contains natural compounds that may help
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  relax blood vessels and support circulation.
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  And there are several ways to enjoy it. You can
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  snack on it raw with a healthy dip. You can add
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  it to soups and stews. Or you can blend it into
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  smoothies or juices. It's a simple, refreshing
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  way to support your heart. Now in closing, emotional
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  healing is not separate from physical recovery.
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  It's again, it's part of it. Give yourself permission
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  to feel, to process. and to heal at your own
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  pace. Use your tools, lean on your support, and
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  take it one day at a time. Thank you for being
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  here, for taking care of your heart, and for
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  honoring your healing journey. So until next
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  time, take care of your heart and be well.