Lief’s color-based categorization of your heart rate variability as relatively lower or higher can be used as an indicator of how efficiently you can recover from stress when it occurs.

When you’re in your highest HRV zones (a.k.a. the green or blue zones), your body is in an optimal state to respond to stressors. In other words, if something stressful were to happen to you in that moment, you’d be less likely to experience a downward spiral of negative thoughts and emotions.

In contrast, when you’re in your lower HRV zones (a.k.a. the yellow or red zones), you are more vulnerable to reacting poorly to stressors. The good news is you can proactively train yourself to stay in your green and blue heart rate variability zones more often using biofeedback training.

It's important to note that your heart rate variability should not be interpreted as a direct translation of real time emotions. In other words, when your heart rate variability is relatively lower, it does not necessarily mean, “I am upset right now,” though that may also be true. Rather, lower heart rate variability should be viewed as an opportunity to engage in a calming biofeedback exercise.

Whether acutely stressed and in need of a breather, or simply taking the opportunity to practice training heart rate variability higher, the positive feedback loop of biofeedback exercise is helpful and empowering. Over time, consistent heart rate variability biofeedback training helps maintain the balance of the autonomic nervous system so it can be in an optimal state to respond to stressors when they arise.