Stress & Your Health

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline. But when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your health.

As a means of survival, humans have evolved down through the ages in a way that they can recognise and react to any external threats posed to them. The fight-or-flight response, or acute stress response, is a reaction that occurs in response to a perceived threat to survival. Your body reacts to stress by releasing hormones. These hormones make your brain more alert, cause your muscles to tense, and increase your pulse.

Essentially, when we feel we are in danger, our mind tells our body to get ready to fight, flee or freeze. In the modern world, this can happen when we feel overwhelmed by what is being asked of us and feel under-resourced for coping with these demands. We can perceive this as being a threat to our physical or psychological well-being. In the short term, these reactions are good because they can help you handle the situation causing stress. This is your body's way of protecting itself. Read More.