A medically reviewed study by Web MD suggests that up to 90% of doctors visits are stress related, how crazy is that?
To overcome stress, we need to understand how our bodies work.
Stress is not bad for us in short bursts, it is there to keep us out of danger like being attacked by a wild animal or any other life-threatening situation.
The problem is that your nervous system isn’t very good at distinguishing between emotional and physical threats.
In our modern world, it is not a wild animal that is attacking us, it's our lives.
When you face stress, your heart beats faster, your muscles tighten, your blood pressure rises, your breath quickens and your senses become sharper.
Our blood vessels also constrict, If we were attacked, this could save us from bleeding out quickly, but if we are always stressed, it can lead to high blood pressure and heart problems.
Our bodies also hold onto energy (food), and our metabolism slows down, this would be useful if we were in a dangerous situation and we didn't know when we would next be able to eat, but for most of us, this is not a problem.
Our bodies also turn their attention away from things that are seen as not as important in that moment, like sex drive, digestion, etc. Again, this is good if you are in genuine danger, but if it is endured over a long period of time, it will upset your digestive and reproductive systems.
We are designed to experience stress in short bursts, but when we endure it for long periods of time, it can become a problem.
Our bodies struggle to distinguish between being attacked by a wild animal and experiencing an overwhelming workload.
