Obsessed with Heart Rate

On the first day of school this year, I bought myself a Fitbit. I always thought wearable technology was dumb, but I am quite enamored of my lavender little friend. It shows how far I walk each day and how my heart rate changes. While I walk a great deal each day (even while teaching online), I don't run or do anything all that strenuous outside of yard work. That said, I check my heart rate all the time.

Over Thanksgiving, my resting heart rate was 69 bpm - an all time low and something I have tried (unsuccessfully) to replicate - even now at the end of winter break. I notice a connection between my level of stress and how high my resting rate goes - 77 bpm on the day before winter break. 

Break has had a lovely impact on my heart rate. All the extra walks, extra sleep, extra fun and extra Vitamin D have done wonders for my heart (both the actual and the metaphorical).

This morning I checked my email. Oof. 

I had to talk myself out of being annoyed. Instead of an "are you kidding me?" response, I had to adopt a "oh, I see what you were thinking here.... what if instead we...." mindset. Truth be told, I am better at this with children, but if I am to keep my heart rate where I like it, I need to get better at altering my reactions to annoying things.

I will not lie, this will be hard. So if you see me breathing deeply, talking aloud to myself about how to reframe a situation or researching solutions rather than complaints, you will know I am being mindful or my heart (and the other person's feelings). And if you happen to see me losing my cool, do please remind me to breathe..