We may process and describe stress mentally, but we feel it physically.
Stress is natural,
It’s physical part of our evolution, that kept us from getting eaten by tigers and shit. Otherwise known as ‘fight or flight’ (and freeze— but that doesn’t rhyme.)
- Fight – body prepares for aggression – ie Yelling
- Flight – body prepares to escape – ie Fidgeting
- Freeze – body prepares to hide and wait – ie Crying
Stress literally take days off your lifespan, through ‘wear and tear’.
Cortisol the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation.
Stress comes from the things yet completed (see Procrastination)
Taking cold showers activates your parasympathetic system — relaxing your body and returning to homeostasis.