Humans are designed with an in-built, alarm system to help deal with situations of danger. This alarm system is an evolutionary throw back to our earliest ancestors. It is designed so that when we are faced with danger adrenaline is automatically pumped around the body.

Cartoon of a Woman saying "Under Stress Me"

With the release of adrenaline, a number of activities in the body increase. The heart beats quicker, blood pressure rises and we breathe faster. The muscles tense ready for action. At the same time a number of activities decrease, for example digestion slows down and our immune response is lowered.

It was this automatic response that enabled our ancestors to respond by fighting or running away from the danger - the ‘fight or flight’ response. Once the danger was over, the body returned to its normal state.

Whilst we still respond in exactly the same way today it is rarely appropriate, for the way we live now, to respond in this simple, instinctive way.

The majority of today’s stress provoking situations cannot be dealt with by fighting or running away. Also we can’t necessarily react to a problem immediately or even if we could, an appropriate response is not always clear cut or easily identifiable. The stress response may therefore not immediately be automatically switched off.

If we do not 'switch off' the stress response and our body stays in this heightened state of arousal for a prelonged period of time our health will be affected. Raised blood pressure, tense muscles, a lower immune response etc. are not conducive to good health!

The symptoms of stress are the body’s way of warning us to ease up and take stock of our situation. Stress management is about ways on a daily basis, to switch off the stress response.

Think of it this way, if you were ill you would go to the doctors for advice and treatment. If you wanted to increase your fitness, you could take more exercise. If you wanted to change your eating habits, you would follow a healthy eating plan.

Stress is no different; you have to do something about it. Adopt a pro-active approach to making the changes to regain control in your life.