You can't sulk in your room all day everyday and expect to get better. I realized this one day after brooding about my life and palpitations a long time. Years actually. I was afraid one wrong move could result to palpitative miseries, so I figured I better limit my movements and confine myself in my room, in my lonely chair. That was a big mistake.
Photo by Arek Adeoye on Unsplash.
Be Angry, Not Worried
I worried a lot about making wrong moves because my palpitations could be easily triggered by wrong position standing up, sitting down or lying down. Or even improper distribution of my weight on my feet. It's weird and stupid. But I realized I couldn't go on living this way. I must overcome all this and not let it rule my life. Never! Yeah, I was angry. How could I just give up without a good fight?
But don't be so angry that it affects your health, too. Or your life. Like getting mad at everyone or everything and being a difficult person, or being violent. What I mean is, be angry enough to fight back in your mind and determine to be free from the shackles of palpitation. Don't be passive and just let negative things happen to you. Be indignant!
Fight Back, Walk and Be Happy
I started with walking. If you prefer, walk with someone who can understand and support you in case you have palpitations while walking. You need support to help you calm down during an attack. But don't think of that all the while you're walking. Don't think you will have an attack so you're going to need support. Instead, think of nice things. Look at the surroundings--God's creation and gift to us--and see how beautiful they are---people, flowers, butterflies and birds, leaves, trees, neighbors, dogs and cats. Everything. Even traffic.
I realized how much I'd been missing when I first ventured into the streets alone after a long time being kept in my room. The fresh cool air early in the morning and the gentle sun, most especially. And then I thought, if I didn't have palpitation I wouldn't have thought of walking early in the morning and determining to exercise regularly. I would've preferred to stay in bed instead and probably lay idle there all morning, all day, and waste my health in the process. I wouldn't have decided to exercise regularly and live a healthy lifestyle.
Or, I would've become too busy with work like everybody else and waste my life doing that everyday. Yeah, palpitations made me stop doing my job and kept me home, but it gave me plenty of time to be with God alone, meditate His Word, be with my wife and family, write, blog and read a lot, plus really workout regularly, and spend time with myself. A blessing in disguise.
I realized how much I'd been missing when I first ventured into the streets alone after a long time being kept in my room. The fresh cool air early in the morning and the gentle sun, most especially. And then I thought, if I didn't have palpitation I wouldn't have thought of walking early in the morning and determining to exercise regularly. I would've preferred to stay in bed instead and probably lay idle there all morning, all day, and waste my health in the process. I wouldn't have decided to exercise regularly and live a healthy lifestyle.
Or, I would've become too busy with work like everybody else and waste my life doing that everyday. Yeah, palpitations made me stop doing my job and kept me home, but it gave me plenty of time to be with God alone, meditate His Word, be with my wife and family, write, blog and read a lot, plus really workout regularly, and spend time with myself. A blessing in disguise.
I Turned It Into a Blessing
But you have to decide to turn it into a blessing in disguise. Desire it, mean it and will it. Pray for it and work it out (one way of working it out is by following the tips in this blog as you consult your heart doctor about them). Because if you just let palpitation or anxiety have their way, they can work like a curse. They'll make you their slave.
But you have to decide to turn it into a blessing in disguise. Desire it, mean it and will it. Pray for it and work it out (one way of working it out is by following the tips in this blog as you consult your heart doctor about them). Because if you just let palpitation or anxiety have their way, they can work like a curse. They'll make you their slave.
How did I do it?
First, I walked around the house for hours. It was a safe start. In case something went wrong, I could just sit down and rest. Anyway, I was just home. I could shout for help anytime and my family and relatives would be there in no time. And palpitations have the habit of stopping sometime soon. It will cease, just wait patiently. Well, there were times I felt too uncomfortable so I asked to be sent to the ER of the Philippine Hear Center for Asia and get an intravenous procedure that involved a cold liquid injected through my raised left arm vein. I forgot what it was called.
First, I walked around the house for hours. It was a safe start. In case something went wrong, I could just sit down and rest. Anyway, I was just home. I could shout for help anytime and my family and relatives would be there in no time. And palpitations have the habit of stopping sometime soon. It will cease, just wait patiently. Well, there were times I felt too uncomfortable so I asked to be sent to the ER of the Philippine Hear Center for Asia and get an intravenous procedure that involved a cold liquid injected through my raised left arm vein. I forgot what it was called.
Intravenous Heart Calmer at the ER
In my research, I found that continuous palpitation for two or three hours may need going to the ER. But my heart doctor told me that I could let it stay for 2 or 3 hours as long as I take my as-needed medicine. If it takes longer, then I could go visit the ER. But I hated doing that in this pandemic, with hospitals full of cases. So I prayed to God for immediate relief, and my palps lasted only for a few minutes. Thank GOD I'm free from palpitations now.
Back to the ER procedure. I felt that liquid go from my hand through my arm, shoulder, chest and heart and made my heartbeat faint and real slow, feeling like I was about to pass out. The ER room grew dark (though it was well lighted) and I felt so weak like I was going to die. It's probably how a dying person felt. I felt my life was about to pass away, that I was about to leave this world. And I thought of my wife who was there somewhere near, calmly watching. I know she was worried. She just didn't want me to see it. What if I died?
At first I felt fear. I didn't want to die. But then I decided not to fight it. I just trusted God and the procedure. Something in me told me to relax and surrender. I relaxed in God's presence. I was sure He was there holding me. In fact, before the procedure, I had asked the ER staff and doctors to pray with me. The medical staff and doctors looked so worried while they were about to do the procedure, but I just smiled and relaxed. I assured them everything was going to be okay. I know God will not let anything go wrong. HE was there. I led in prayer.
After a while, my heart beat, pulse rate and BP seemed to go flat (said my wife told me about it later) but also quickly and instantly redounded and normalized. I heard it, too, through the monitor. It was scary! In the three instances that this procedure was done to me on different days, I always thanked God when everything normalized. There was a really scary episode on this, but it's for another blog article.
After a while, my heart beat, pulse rate and BP seemed to go flat (said my wife told me about it later) but also quickly and instantly redounded and normalized. I heard it, too, through the monitor. It was scary! In the three instances that this procedure was done to me on different days, I always thanked God when everything normalized. There was a really scary episode on this, but it's for another blog article.
Back to Walking
Anyway, back to walking. I walked around our yard first. And then I walked some distance along our street, back and forth. And then I walked around the block. And then I added push-ups, pull-ups and isometric exercises. And so on. I always consulted my heart doctor about it all.
I noticed that with regular exercises like walking, I got fewer palpitation attacks. Fewer tendencies, too. And if I did have palpitations, they were shorter compared with the times I just sulked in my room all day. Moreover, regular walking (and healthy lifestyle) prevented any more complications from occurring. It will be harder to deal with palpitations if you also had diabetes, hypertension or other illnesses. So keep healthy while you're diabetes or hypertension free.
I strongly recommend (with your doctor's okay) leisure or easy walking at first. Just walk and stroll around enjoying what you see. Do this for 30 minutes a day initially, and then gradually increase to 40 minutes a day if you can. You may also slowly switch to brisk walking after, say, 3 to 6 months of leisurely walking. You don't have to pressure yourself. You're not competing for the Olympics. You simply want to be healthy.
Now that I'm free from palpitations, I enjoy working out at home doing jogging-in-place, push-ups, and isometrics. Sometimes I lift some weights. But often I shadow box, with punches and kicks or with arnis sticks or knives for aero workouts. I also teach Filipino martial arts now and then.
Anyway, back to walking. I walked around our yard first. And then I walked some distance along our street, back and forth. And then I walked around the block. And then I added push-ups, pull-ups and isometric exercises. And so on. I always consulted my heart doctor about it all.
I noticed that with regular exercises like walking, I got fewer palpitation attacks. Fewer tendencies, too. And if I did have palpitations, they were shorter compared with the times I just sulked in my room all day. Moreover, regular walking (and healthy lifestyle) prevented any more complications from occurring. It will be harder to deal with palpitations if you also had diabetes, hypertension or other illnesses. So keep healthy while you're diabetes or hypertension free.
I strongly recommend (with your doctor's okay) leisure or easy walking at first. Just walk and stroll around enjoying what you see. Do this for 30 minutes a day initially, and then gradually increase to 40 minutes a day if you can. You may also slowly switch to brisk walking after, say, 3 to 6 months of leisurely walking. You don't have to pressure yourself. You're not competing for the Olympics. You simply want to be healthy.
Now that I'm free from palpitations, I enjoy working out at home doing jogging-in-place, push-ups, and isometrics. Sometimes I lift some weights. But often I shadow box, with punches and kicks or with arnis sticks or knives for aero workouts. I also teach Filipino martial arts now and then.
Walking may not totally cure ailments but it can definitely make you feel better. Sometimes, I even hear stories of ailments just naturally going away through years of praying, healthy living and brisk walking. It's worth a try. And walking entails so small an expense. Sometimes even nothing. You simply go out there and walk.
Walking is strongly advised by most doctors, no matter what the ailment, and especially for people with heart palpitation problems. If you seriously decide on walking outdoors regularly, have a companion or a mobile phone with you in case of an emergency. Also carry a portable heart monitor if possible. And do everything your heart doctor tells you.
Walking is strongly advised by most doctors, no matter what the ailment, and especially for people with heart palpitation problems. If you seriously decide on walking outdoors regularly, have a companion or a mobile phone with you in case of an emergency. Also carry a portable heart monitor if possible. And do everything your heart doctor tells you.
As for me, I simply walked in the streets without special gadgets except my old cellphone. Keep things simple.
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