Heart to Heart

Once limited to elite athletes, Heart Rate Variability is emerging as a potential, real-time measure of nervous system health and burnout risks

- TANISHA SAXENA

In a world obsessed with step counts, calorie burns, and sleep tracking, Heart Rate Variability, a relatively lesser known health metric, is quietly gaining traction among clinicians, biohackers, and wellbeing enthusiasts. It may lack the instant gratification of a 10,000-step goal, but it offers something far more profound: real-time insight into your nervous system's resilience and early warning signs of stress-induced illness.

Sakshi Srivastava has been living with anxiety for years. The 28-year-old manages it without medication through disciplined routine, and meditation. But it wasn't until a recent hospital visit that she heard of Heart Rate Variability, or HRV. A doctor mentioned it while explaining stress-related symptoms, and the idea lingered with her. Curious, Srivastava began tracking her HRV. "It gave me language for what I was feeling," she says. "Now I can see when my body is in fight-or-flight mode-and how to pull back."