February is Heart Health Month, and each year I’m reminded how important it is to take care of our hearts.
Heart health is often focused around the physical heart, managing our blood pressure, cholesterol, exercise, nutrition, and paying attention to genetic factors. Yes, those things matter.
Heart health is more than lab numbers, though. Our hearts are emotional and spiritual, and they are deeply impacted by what is happening in the world we live in. That’s why I feel compelled to write about the nature of the media we are fed and what we consume affects our hearts and overall health.
For me, this month will always carry meaning. In 2020, I survived a heart attack. Not because of a hereditary condition, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or lack of fitness. I ate well and exercised regularly. My heart attack occurred during one of the most emotionally charged periods many of us have ever lived through.
When Covid-19 shut down the world, fear and confusion dominated our daily lives. On top of that, the most divisive election in modern history saturated the news and social media. We were isolated, overwhelmed, and emotionally flooded. Division, tension, and anger filled homes, broke apart families, and controlled conversations, headlines, and 24-hour news feeds.
At the time, I didn’t fully realize how much my body, and my heart, were absorbing and holding.
Before my heart attack, I was living in a constant state of alert, what I now understand as “fight or flight.” News outlets and social media were relentless in spreading fear and outrage. Most conversations revolved around the state of the world, leaving me drained and feeling emotionally unsafe. My sleep suffered, and I felt tension building in my chest.
On the outside, I was over-functioning, helping others, pushing forward, staying productive, all the while ignoring the warning signs inside my body.
What I notice today is how familiar this current emotional climate seems. The storylines are different, but many of the same themes flood the headlines: political polarization, global uncertainty, fear, and social division. Once again, the news cycle pushes urgency and outrage, and once again, many people are over-consuming vast amounts of urgent information, living in a constant state of vigilance, bracing themselves for what comes next when they turn on the TV or open an app.
The circumstances may look different, but the physiological impact on our bodies is similar, and it shows up as stress.
Chronic stress keeps our nervous systems stuck in fight-or-flight mode. Cortisol and adrenaline remain elevated, increasing blood pressure, heart-rate fluctuations, and inflammation, which forces the heart to work harder for longer periods without recovery. Engaging in a constant loop of breaking news triggers the same stress response. The body cannot tell the difference between physical danger and emotional threat.
During 2020, the sustained emotional charge took a real toll on people’s health. It certainly did on mine. Today, we are seeing that same pattern: different headlines, same nervous system reaction.
It’s not about politics; it’s about how our bodies respond. Living in a divided world takes a toll not just on relationships, but on the body. Anger, resentment, fear, and hyper-vigilance settle in the mind and the heart, and when we become emotionally activated, we respond reactively rather than mindfully.
For me, that cost showed up as a heart attack. For others, it may appear as anxiety, high blood pressure, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain, depression, or burnout.
One of the greatest contributors to modern heart stress is constant exposure to news and social media. These platforms are designed to steal our attention, not protect our health. They keep us emotionally engaged far longer than is healthy. Each time we consume fear-based or divisive content, the body responds automatically, heart rate increases, muscles tense, breathing becomes shallow, and stress hormones spike. Over time, this becomes our baseline.
After my heart attack, I had to dramatically change how I interacted with the media. Not because I wanted to be uninformed or turn a blind eye, but because I wanted to stay alive. Protecting and caring for my heart meant regulating my nervous system and setting boundaries with information overload.
Here are some practical strategies that can be implemented to protect heart health as well as mental well-being:
Limit exposure of news and social media by choosing quick check-in times rather than constant consumption. Even better, take a full digital detox of 24-48 hours.Listen to the body’s signals of stress, such as chest tightness, shallow breathing, or muscle tightness. These are cues to pause and step away.Regulate the nervous system daily through slow breathing, gentle movement, prayer, meditation, and spending time in nature.Set emotional boundaries by choosing understanding and compromise over conflict. Remember, you don’t have to engage in everything.Prioritize rest and recovery, including quality sleep, to reduce chronic stress on the heart and body. Practice more BEING, and less DOING.Connect to joy and positivity through laughter, gratitude, play and meaningful connection with others.
In times of division such as this, it’s tempting to engage, to defend, or argue. However, one of the most powerful lessons I learned through my heart attack is that disengaging is not being weak, but preserving health.
As we honor our heart health this February, let’s think beyond diet and exercise and truly protect our hearts. This may mean stepping back from the noise, setting boundaries, choosing peace over anger, and giving our nervous system time to rest. When the world feels loud and overwhelming, heart care begins with slowing down, prioritizing self-care, and creating space within to heal and thrive.
