Have you ever found yourself with sweaty hands on a first
date or felt your heart pound during a scary movie? Then you know you can feel
stress in both your mind and body.
This automatic response developed in our ancient ancestors
as a way to protect them from predators and other threats. Faced with danger,
the body kicks into gear, flooding the body with hormones that elevate your
heart rate, increase your blood pressure, boost your energy and prepare you to
deal with the problem. These days, you're not likely to face the threat of
being eaten. But you probably do confront multiple challenges every day, such
as meeting deadlines, paying bills and juggling childcare that make your body
react the same way. As a result, your body's natural alarm system the “fight or
flight” response, may be stuck in the on position. And that can have serious
side effects on your health.
When stress starts interfering with your ability to live a
normal life for an extended period, it becomes even more dangerous. The longer
the stress lasts, the worse it is for both your mind and body. You might feel
fatigued, unable to concentrate or irritable for no good reason, for example.
But chronic stress causes wear and tear on your body, too. Reducing your stress
can not only help in the present moment but in the long run as far as your
health goes.
