Know Yourself: Stress and your Body

Managing Stress & Being Well
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prompt Journal - Stress Management

Fight or Flight

You will have no doubt heard about “fight or flight” response. Our body’s response to a perceived threat or danger. Stress can trigger our “fight or flight” response.  The “fight or flight” response brings about a number of changes in our bodies to mobilise us for action. These reactions are instinctive and automatic and there is nothing we can do to stop them, therefore, our bodies go on high alert when we are stressed (threatened).

“Fight or Flight” was designed to be used occasionally – but the stresses of modern life mean that we can actually be triggering our fight and flight response multiple times in one day and because we don’t actually need to run away or fight (because there is no physical stressor) then this leads to the build-up for hormones in our body that will end up needing to be absorbed. Consequently, stress can lead to wear and tear on our bodies. Also in response to the fight and flight response, the cortex of our brain switches off and this can take up to 20 minutes to turn back on.

Thinking about Stress positively

So how can we deal with this? We need to understand how our bodies react to stress and think about how we react to stress in a positive light (rather than focus on the negative impact). For example:

  1. When I am stressed my body releases adrenaline and cortisol. My heart is beating faster. This means that: My heart is working harder and my body is mobilising its energy to get ready for this challenge.
  2. When I am stressed, my stress response is causing my breathing rate to increase. This means that: More oxygen is getting to my brain so that I can think more clearly!
  3. When I am stressed, my blood pressure increases. This means that: The extra blood flow is fueling my muscles – I am feeling stronger and ready for the challenge ahead.

It is important to remember that stress “in the moment” is helping your body rise to the challenge. Enjoy the challenge of moments of stress but avoid the challenge of a lifetime of stress.

If you haven’t already seen it – watch Kelly McGonigal’s TED talk on how to make stress your friend.