Understanding Heart Rate Vulnerability: Tools for a More Regulated Nervous System
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Returning to Us
Understanding Heart Rate Vulnerability: Tools for a More Regulated Nervous System
Apr 21, 2025 Season 4 Episode 54
Lauren Spigelmyer

In this episode, Lauren dives into the importance of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and how it reflects the state of your nervous system. She explains why HRV matters, how it serves as a nervous system resilience score, and how a higher HRV indicates flexibility and adaptability, while a lower HRV suggests you're stuck in a stress response. Lauren shares seven practical ways to support and improve HRV—like cold water exposure, humming, singing, rhythm, eye movement, laughter, caring touch, and play-based activities. Her message is clear: if you're feeling tired or overwhelmed, your nervous system is asking for help. The good news? You now have some simple tools to support it. Don't worry about being perfect—just aim for progress.

If you haven't already, check out Five Ives to see how strategies like this can be applied to adults, especially in the workplace. Five Ives works with staff in high burnout jobs to help them incorporate regulation strategies into their daily routines.

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