What happens in your body when you are stressed?

This is a reprint of Howard VanEs' website article.  It describes what happens to us when we are in a state of stress.  He also happens to mention in another article that breathing is the first line of defense to the debilitating effects below.  There are many tools available to help, of which AEROFORM happens to be one of my favorite.  But the more resources you have the better you will be able to live a long and good feeling life.  Enjoy the article and visit his website.

What happens in your body when you are stressed?

When we are faced with a stressful situation our bodies react with a number of chemical and hormonal changes that trigger the parasympathetic nervous system to prepare us for what is referred to as “fight or flight”; a response that prepares us to either flee – run away – or to stay and fight off the threat. This automatic reaction is a throwback to prehistoric times when the correct choices meant survival. Imagine for a moment that you are faced by a neighbor from a warring tribe or a wild animal – there is no time to think about options – just instant judgement, which means either fighting or fleeing.

The fight or flight response produces a number of changes in the body. Here’s what happens: When your brain senses danger the hypothalamus is triggered and a signal is sent to the pituitary gland which in turn sends messages to other glands of the body. This results in a release of chemicals and hormones which cause the adrenal glands to secrete noradrenaline and dopamine – a group of chemicals known as “catecholamines” which have direct effect on the major systems of the body. The cardiovascular system is boosted resulting in an increased heart rate, a stronger heart beat, and increased blood pressure which helps to pump blood to the limbs and large muscle groups in preparation for fighting or running.

Blood flow to the stomach is shut down (as is digestive activity) and is directed away from the skin to help the heart pump more blood to the muscles. This explains why our skin can feel cool, clammy and sweaty when feeling stress or anxiety. Sweaty skin also helps to provide a slippery surface for anything trying to grab us. There is also an increased release of fat and sugar into the bloodstream to provide energy for this up-regulated mode. The breathing rate increases to help the lungs take in much more oxygen, which explains the panting like breath we experience when feeling anxious, scared or panicky.

As you might imagine the “fight or flight” response was very useful back in prehistoric times; however the problem is that this same survival mechanism gets triggered to a certain degree when you are in any stressful situation – fighting traffic on the highway, standing in a long line at the grocery store, having to make a presentation to large group, asking your boss for a raise, etc. Very rarely do our modern day stressors require the level of reactivity that the “fight or flight” response triggers. Scientists are now realizing that our reaction to stress is a continuum – going from a high degree of stress to just the opposite – deep relaxation. In the middle is a balanced state.

As you can now see, our bodies are biologically pre-wired to react in certain ways to stress. The problem is that we do not face the same life-threatening stressors our predecessors did, but our body reacts as if we did! Take a look at our website to learn about the many ways you can manage stress and take control of your life.

Live Well,

Howard VanEs
http://www.mystressproofing.com/