The first thing that stress does is to cause the adrenal glands to start secreting adrenaline and epinephrine. These hormones are produced to help use get ready to fight or run away from a threat. Fortunately, we don't face mortal danger on daily basis anymore; but unfortunately, this means that these hormones just make use feel a lot of anxiety.
The "flight or fight" reaction also causes our body to have an increased metabolism. Your heart rate increases, your breathing speeds up, you start sweating, and your blood sugar levels increase. If you are temporarily escaping from a lion this is a good thing, but if you are living your life in a constant state of stress, this can lead to some serious problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Additionally, the body turns off certain unessential functions. After all, if you are running away from a lion there is really no point in wasting energy with things like digestion, reproduction and growth. This is exactly why highly stressed people get ulcers, have trouble getting pregnant and under extreme conditions have stunted growth.
Finding and eliminating stressful parts of our lives is important, but for short term relief, relaxation exercises can be a big help.
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