What is the Root of Stress?

Like all things, stress begins somewhere. So, what is the deep root of your stress?

First, let us look at what stress is physiologically. Stress is your body’s response to fear, thus a fight or flight reaction. At its most basic function, it is an escalation of specific hormones which help your body in a fight or flight situation - think adrenaline and cortisol. Fight or flight is a natural and amazing body function WHEN required to elude danger; like running from a mad hornet or in the way distant past … escaping from or hunting a saber tooth tiger.

Physical and mental issues arise from stress when your body remains in the fight or flight mode for a long period of time. Your body is designed to escalate fight or flight hormones, then reduce them again once the crisis is over. When you live stressed out, you keep your hormones escalated which leads to things like heart disease, cancer, depression, anxiety and many, many more ailments.

Stress often occurs when one is projecting about what might happen in the future or when rehashing the past. Let’s state that again just for fun … you stress yourself out when living in the future or the past. So, what about living in the present???

The interesting thing is that when you are living in the moment, there is no fear thus no stress. Being in the present moment can greatly impact your day and thus your life. And that is the basis of stress and what stress management does for you.

StressWise utilizes stress management tools to bring you back into the present moment. The more you do stress management exercises, the more time you spend in the present and the less fear you experience … thus the less stress you maintain.

Cheers!

Meredith and Andrea, StressWise Co-Founders