11 Ways to Improve Heart Rate Variability (HRV) — A Whole-Person Guide to Nervous System Healing
- Brainz Magazine
- Nov 5
- 5 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Dr. Jennifer Lefebre fuses over 20 years of psychological expertise with her own powerful healing journey, creating an electrifying non-clinical holistic approach to trauma recovery. She’s on a mission to help people rise from trauma and addiction, blending strength, resilience, and holistic practices to ignite lasting transformation.
Heart rate variability (HRV) is much more than a metric from your fitness tracker. It is a reflection of your nervous system’s flexibility, your body’s ability to return to calm, and your deeper capacity for healing and connection. HRV sits at the intersection of your mind, body, heart, and soul, reflecting the dynamic state of your inner world and your outer response to life.
At its core, a high HRV means you can respond to stress and then return to regulation. It is the physical expression of resilience, and it is also a cornerstone of Polyvagal Theory, which helps explain how we move between states of fight, flight, freeze, and social engagement. When we support HRV, we support the vagus nerve, our body’s highway for calm, connection, and healing.
For anyone navigating the long road of trauma recovery, addiction healing, chronic stress, or just trying to feel more centered, HRV improvement is a practical and powerful way to support transformation. Below, you will find 11 science-backed ways to increase HRV, each mapped to one or more aspects of your whole self.
1. Prioritize restorative sleep (body + mind)
Sleep is the most potent natural regulator of the autonomic nervous system. It supports both cognitive processing and physical healing, and it is when the parasympathetic branch, rest and digest, is most active. Poor sleep pushes us into sympathetic overdrive, which suppresses HRV. If you struggle to sleep, you are not alone. Stress and trauma often show up here first.
Establish a consistent bedtime, limit screen time, and wind down with calming rituals.
2. Practice slow, diaphragmatic breathing (body + soul)
Breath is one of the fastest ways to influence HRV and your vagus nerve. Polyvagal Theory teaches that breath activates the ventral vagal complex, associated with calm, safety, and social engagement.
Try this: inhale for a comfortable count, for example, four counts, then exhale for the same count. You can breathe through your nose, adding a slight natural resistance. This simple breathwork, known as Sama Vritti, improves vagal tone, supports trauma recovery, and shifts your internal state toward peace.
3. Exercise with rhythm and rest (body + heart)
Movement increases HRV, but so does recovery. Overtraining can push the nervous system into survival mode, reducing HRV over time. Balanced exercise, aerobic and strength, regulates stress hormones, enhances cardiac function, and boosts mood.
The key is rhythm: periods of exertion followed by restoration. Like the heartbeat itself, variability allows us to thrive.
4. Stay hydrated (body + mind)
Your nervous system relies on hydration to transmit signals efficiently. Even mild dehydration can lower HRV, impair brain function, and increase stress sensitivity. Water supports cognitive clarity, emotional regulation, and biological resilience.
Start your day with a glass of water, and keep a bottle nearby. It is a small act that supports your entire system.
5. Eliminate alcohol (mind + body)
Alcohol disrupts HRV by depressing vagal activity and overactivating the sympathetic system, even in small amounts. For those in recovery from addiction, eliminating alcohol can profoundly help restore nervous system balance.
Reclaiming HRV after substance use is a process and an empowering step toward reclaiming agency and safety in your body.
6. Eat for anti-inflammatory nourishment (body + heart)
Leafy greens and nutrient-rich foods can increase HRV by reducing inflammation and supporting neurotransmitter function. In polyvagal-informed care, food is more than fuel. It is information for the nervous system.
Favor whole, anti-inflammatory foods like greens, nuts, seeds, and fish to support HRV, mood regulation, and brain health.
7. Rebalance work and life (mind + heart)
Overwork, long commutes, and boundaryless schedules strain the nervous system and reduce HRV. Chronic stress from daily life keeps us in sympathetic mode, blocking access to calm and connection.
Boundary setting, saying no, and prioritizing your wellbeing help reclaim your time and your sense of internal safety. Your HRV will thank you.
8. Journal your gratitude (heart + soul)
Gratitude journaling improves HRV by shifting the nervous system toward ventral vagal engagement, the state associated with trust, openness, and calm. This small act can help you rewire the brain toward safety and positivity, critical in trauma and addiction recovery.
Each day, write five things you are thankful for. Gratitude is not just a feeling. It is a nervous system intervention.
9. Reconnect with nature (body + soul)
Spending time in nature, forest bathing, improves HRV, reduces cortisol, and restores nervous system balance. Nature cues the body into safety, inviting vagal activation and a return to regulated states.
Whether it is a forest hike, ocean view, or neighborhood walk, the rhythm of nature can help restore the rhythm within.
10. Embrace somatic practices like yoga and meditation (mind + body + soul)
Yoga and meditative practices stimulate parasympathetic activity and support interoception, the awareness of bodily sensations. These practices help shift trauma stored in the body and build capacity for regulation.
From meditation to gentle yoga, these modalities reinforce your ability to stay present and connected.
11. Cultivate deep social connection (heart + soul)
Polyvagal Theory teaches us that co-regulation, feeling safe with others, is essential for nervous system health. Social isolation lowers HRV, while meaningful connection strengthens it. Face-to-face contact, laughter, and shared experiences are literal medicine for the heart.
If you are healing from trauma or addiction, know that belonging is biological and crucial for recovery.
Final reflection: HRV as a map of whole self health
Your HRV is not just about fitness. It reflects your whole person: your mind’s clarity, your body’s resilience, your heart’s openness, and your soul’s sense of safety and meaning.
Through the lens of Polyvagal Theory, HRV offers a measurable way to understand how safe you feel, how supported you are, and how well you can regulate through the waves of life.
The best part is that HRV is not fixed. It is adaptable, just like you.
When you begin to tend to your HRV, you are also tending to the deeper systems that make healing and transformation possible. Whether you are walking through trauma recovery, addiction healing, chronic stress, or simply trying to live more fully in your body, HRV is a guidepost on the path back home to yourself.
Read more from Dr. Jennifer Lefebre
Dr. Jennifer Lefebre, Holistic Wellness Coach
Dr. Jennifer Lefebre is a powerhouse of transformation, blending over two decades of expertise in trauma, psychology, and neuroscience with her personal journey of resilience and healing. Through yoga, strength training, and holistic practices, she empowers individuals to reclaim their lives after trauma and addiction. Her work spans from adaptive athletes to survivors of traumatic experiences, all fueled by a deep passion for guiding others toward profound healing. With specialized training in Strength Training, Yoga, Nutrition, Ayurveda, Reiki, and the Expressive Arts, Dr. Jenn offers an innovative, integrative, non-clinical approach that’s as dynamic as the people she works with—transforming lives, one powerful movement at a time.
