Different people experience stress at different levels. It isn’t a uniform response we all experience but rather how we ourselves respond to a given situation. Our mood, what type of personality we have and whether or not our day has been a very problematic one, all contribute to our stress levels and responses. The amount of pressure we feel on a daily basis is what triggers the same physical response mechanism in our bodies.

All people respond to a stressful situation in this same physiological way. Our bodies interpret the stressful situation to mean danger, whether it is life threatening or not. Then our survival instinct sets into action a series of physical responses. We make an instant decision whether to run away or whether to stay and put up a fight.
‘The fight or flight response’.

Firstly our adrenal glands, located at the top of our kidneys are activated by the Hypothalamus and the Pituitary gland in the brain. The adrenal gland's role is to secrete stress hormones called ‘Catecholamines’. We know these stress hormones by the name adrenalin and non-adrenalin. These hormones play an essential role in our ability to deal with a life-threatening situation.

They flood into the bloodstream and temporarily shut down non-essential parts of the body, like the stomach, in order to pool reserves of energy for the fight or flight situation. This will then enable the body to have more power, speed and agility than normal. Your heart rate increases, your breathing increases, your blood pressure rises and the brain and muscles receive extra blood. The liver produces sugars that provide you with much needed energy, your vision improves and blood-clotting agents are produced to deal with any physical injury, which may occur.

This response is excellent if you happen to be caught in the middle of a life-threatening situation but all too often it is triggered where these automatic responses are unnecessary. The Automatic Primary Response is not exactly needed in a major traffic jam, which actually causes psychological stress. The last thing you can do is fight or run away. Unfortunately, the body is unable to differentiate between the two types of distress and reacts in the same way.

It is repeated exposure to these major physiological changes that cause the body damage over time. There are three stages the body goes through when exposed to excessive amounts of stress, as studied by Hans Selye in the 1930’s. The initial response is the Automatic Primary Response we have just spoken about. However, if the body remains in the stressful situation the second response begins. Here, the physiological changes remain the same, like high blood pressure and increased heart rate, but other essential parts of the body’s functions are compromised. For example, the immune system becomes less able to fight off infection. Then finally, if the body still remains stressed it moves into the third stage, which is exhaustion. Your body simply cannot maintain that high level alert for too long.As we all know, long term stress on the body can affect the immune system as well as the heart. The surges of adrenalin can disturb the heart’s rhythmic beat and may induce a heart attack, as it can also cause a build up of fatty deposits in the arteries.

So, if you find yourself in repeated stressful situations, which cannot be avoided, your best defence is to get fit. If you are fit your pulse rate will generally be lower than someone who isn’t, (see checking your pulse rate article). Your pulse rate should also return to normal more quickly than someone who does not exercise at all. Also, if you exercise regularly it is likely that you will have a healthy heart, which reduces the risk of a heart attack. If you can combine good health with a relaxation technique, like counting to 10 very slowly, taking up yoga or wearing a heart monitor (see shop for details) which alerts you to your body’s physiological changes, you can recognize what’s happening and make appropriate adjustments to your situation.

(see the checking your pulse rate article)