We’re focused on connection at Kids Cook Real Food™. Today we explore how connecting the heart and brain can improve physical, mental, and emotional health.
The HeartMath Institute approaches the heart from a scientific perspective—practical, research-based tools to bring greater emotional balance and resilience to families and schools.
In the conversation with HeartMath Director of Education Jeff Goelitz, you’ll learn:
- How the heart influences our thinking and behavior.
- What heart-focused breathing is, why it works, and a simple way to practice it.
- How stress affects children at different ages and what they need from parents.
- Practical strategies to build resilience and grit in kids.
- Why heart-centered habits are important, not just reactive techniques.
- How heart-focused practices support learning and emotional regulation in school.
- Two simple, actionable steps you can use today to begin building healthier family habits for stress relief and resilience.
Can’t see the video? Click to watch “Using the Heart-Brain Connection to Relieve Stress” on YouTube.
No time to watch the full interview? Here are the highlights and timestamps.
Heart-Brain Connection Video Time Stamps
- 0:35 — Introduction: Jeff Goelitz, Director of Education at the HeartMath Institute.
- 1:58 — Jeff describes his background and how he became involved in stress education.
- 5:04 — The mission and history of HeartMath and the science behind their work.
Your heart is defined as “the center of yourself.” It is a source of wisdom, comfort and compassion. – Jeff Goelitz
- 7:36 — Neurocardiology: how the heart and brain communicate. The heart releases hormones and its electrical rhythms reflect physical and emotional states.
Using Your Breath to Reduce Stress
- 8:38 — HeartMath’s practice of heart-centered breathing: a clear, step-by-step way to calm the nervous system and shift emotional state.
- 11:33 — Rising anxiety in children is reducing focus and learning. Social-emotional learning and self-regulation skills are more important than ever.
- 12:49 — Breath work helps in the moment and is most effective when practiced regularly. It can also be used proactively before stressful events.
It is a necessity these days for parents and kids to learn these skills as they cope with our fast-paced lives. – Jeff Goelitz
- 14:19 — The interview was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, when stress levels are elevated among families.
Identifying Stress in Kids
- 14:43 — Children show stress differently depending on their age. Young children often cannot name feelings, so parents interpret behavior as cues to underlying stress.
- 16:34 — Ideas for stress-relief breaks: short walks, time in nature, focused breathing, or active play with your kids.
- 17:06 — Parents often default to telling children what to do. Equally important is listening so children feel heard and understood.
If you’re supporting children who struggle with executive functioning and stress, practical strategies can be integrated into daily routines to help both kids and caregivers.
Help Kids Relieve Stress
- 18:25 — Quiet, restorative time helps: walks, board games, and daily gratitude lists can reduce family stress and improve connection.
- 20:34 — It’s easy to default to negativity. Intentionally practicing small daily habits of gratitude and positivity helps rewire responses over time.
We want our kids to have grit, strength, and the ability to bounce back from disappointment. That’s where we grow. That’s where our character develops. – Jeff Goelitz
- 21:55 — Schools are increasingly including self-regulation skills in curricula because specific strategies reduce stress and support academic and social success.
- 25:50 — HeartMath launched HeartSmarts Adventure for 4–6-year-olds. The program introduces heart-focused skills early to support emotional learning.
- 29:33 — Two practical steps to start today for better heart-brain health are shared at the end of the interview.
Resources Mentioned for Heart-Brain Health
- The Inner Balance device from HeartMath (a tool for practicing coherence and tracking progress).
- A review of the Inner Balance device and recommendations for breathing techniques to reduce stress.
- Guides on becoming a better listener and making family mealtimes a place for meaningful conversation.
- Past episodes and articles about helping kids manage stress, anxiety, and preventing depression.
- HeartSmarts Adventure program for preschool and early elementary children.
I’m an affiliate for HeartMath, but that doesn’t change your price.
Jeffrey Goelitz is Director of Education at the HeartMath Institute. He consults with educators, mental health professionals, and parents across North America to improve youth well-being, classroom climate, and parent-child communication. He contributes to curriculum development, training, and research collaboration focused on social-emotional learning.
Jeff has co-authored programs and guides for children and teens that address stress, ADHD, and emotional skills, and he helps develop preschool through early elementary curricula such as HeartSmarts Adventure. He also serves as lead interventionist on federally funded research to reduce youth violence in partnership with university collaborators.
