When we experience something stressful, in most instances this propels a cycle of behaviors that begins with thoughts, that in turn prompts corresponding emotions. These negative thoughts and challenging emotions then active our primal “flight fight or freeze response” and generates physical sensations in the body and the pumping out a surge of stress-triggered hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.  You may have heard this referred to as an "amygdala hijack" as it is driven by the area of our brain that controls our basic survival reactions. These sensations could be anything from your heart racing, to sweating, to feeling panic.

It's important to recognize that all this is happens automatically…it can happen within 30 seconds and often without our conscious awareness. This then moves into behavioral responses or reactions, often in the form of engaging in unhealthy habits and coping patterns, which can actually create more stress, and the cycle continues. If you are dealing with chronic daily stress, you are constantly in defense and reactive mode and so that fight-or-flight-freeze reaction stays switched on. The long-term activation of the stress-response system and the overexposure to adrenaline, cortisol and other stress hormones that follows can disrupt almost all your body's processes, and that in turn puts you at increased risk of many health problems. Stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack.