Over the past several months, I’ve been tracking my Heart Rate Variability.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measures the time fluctuation between heartbeats. The variations are very small, adding or subtracting a fraction of a second between beats.
NOTE: HRV is not to be confused with arrhythmia.
HRV is a normal occurrence. Whether calm or stressed, your heart responds to changes in your surroundings. It reflects the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and can be used as a marker to indicate overall health, stress, and recovery.
A higher HRV generally signifies more resilience and adaptability in the body. A lower HRV typically indicates stress, fatigue, poor sleep, or an underlying health condition.
My HRV readings have been averaging in the high 20s during the day. Not great, I thought, given that tracking shows the possibility of numbers reaching 100.
So for kicks, and because I strive for “better,” I decided to commit to pausing several times during the day to breathe with intention. Just 2 minutes of slow, deep breathing resulted in my HRV increasing to over 50. On a few occasions, it popped up over 80!
Hence, the importance of the pause.
A pause – through a deep breath, a mindful moment, or just slowing your pace – signals safety to your body. This sense of safety activates the rest-and-digest mode of your nervous system (parasympathetic), which increases HRV.
Continuous busyness (my normal state 🤔) keeps the nervous system in fight-or-flight mode (sympathetic), which lowers HRV. It’s a time when the heart beats more rigidly and with less adaptability. A pause disrupts that stress loop, letting your heart regain flexibility and variability.
- Slow, steady breathing naturally increases HRV by creating a healthy rhythm between inhalation and exhalation; inhalation slightly speeds up the heart, while exhalation slows it down.
- Higher HRV is linked to better adaptability, emotional regulation, and resilience. By practicing pauses, you train your body to return to balance more quickly after stress.
In short, pausing boosts HRV by giving your heart a chance to shift out of a rigid stress pattern and find a more resilient rhythm. This has a very real and measurable effect on your heart.
My favorite breathing exercises to support HRV are:
4-6 Breath
Inhale gently for 4 seconds and exhale slowly for 6 seconds.
Do this for 6-10 rounds.
Longer exhales help activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
Box Breathing
Inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4.
Repeat 3-5 rounds to improve calmness and focus.
Micro-Meditation
Close your eyes for 60 seconds. Notice one sensation…your breath, the weight of your body, or the sounds around you.
Breathe into that sensation and slowly exhale.
Other ways to pause:
Stop for a moment and think of one thing you are grateful for right now.
This quick shift in mindset helps regulate emotions and improve HRV.
Step outside or look out a window. Let your eyes rest on a tree, the sky, a bird, or the grass for 30 seconds.
🌿 These “mini-pauses” aren’t about stopping life—they’re about weaving in tiny resets that keep your body balanced and your HRV resilient.
I encourage you to choose a mini-pause and try it right now.
Here’s to a resilient HRV!
