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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Bruce CryerDirector, HeartMath UKGlobal Director, HeartMath HealthCare

Staff Resilience and the Use of

Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback

11 June 2013

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience 2

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

A Brief History of HeartMathA Brief History of HeartMath

• Founded near Silicon Valley in 1991 to study relationship between stress, emotion, performance, brain and heart function

• Authored more than 60 published studies on cardiovascular health, cognitive performance, health care utilization, staff retention, PTSD

• Developed award-winning biofeedback and mobile stress reduction technology

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Publications• American Journal of Cardiology

• Harvard Business Review

• Wall Street Journal

• Journal of Holistic Healthcare (UK)

• Modern Healthcare

• Journal of Stress Medicine

• Journal of Preventive Cardiology

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

ResilienceResilience• Adapt more quickly to change

• Recover quickly after hardships

• Increased capacity to prevent debilitating reactions – “bounce back stronger”

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

• 1400 biochemical changes • Nervous system overload

• Mental inconsistencies

• Resilience Depletion

• Compromised performance

Stressful Emotions

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Positive Emotions• Beneficial biochemical changes• Nervous system balance• Increase mental clarity• Build Resilience• Enhance performance

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

0.859 sec. 0.793 sec. 0.726 sec.

70 BPM 76 BPM 83 BPM

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

HEA

RT R

ATE

(BPM

)

Seconds

HRV = The Heart Rhythm

8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Heart Rate VariabilityHeart Rate Variability

• Key indicator of autonomic function• Low HRV = high cardiac risk• High HRV = low cardiac risk• Decreases with age• Low HRV is predictive of MI and sudden death

– Circulation, 1996;93: 1043-1065

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

The good newsThe good news: : We can regulate our own HRV.We can regulate our own HRV.

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

HEA

RT R

ATE

HEA

RT R

ATE

TIME (SECONDS)

Frustration

Appreciation

HRV and emotion

InhibitsBrain Function(Incoherence)

FacilitatesBrain Function(Coherence)

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

DemonstrationDemonstration

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Selected OutcomesSelected Outcomes

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Pre-Post psychometric survey Improvements - Exhaustion

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Improvements - Anxiety

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Improvements - Annoyed & Angry

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Improvements in HealthAches and Pains

44% Decrease

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© 2012 HeartMath LLC Transforming Stress into Resilience

Thank You!

www.heartmath.com.uk – training, research and technology

bcryer@heartmath.comConnect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook,

brucecryer.com