Gannett Health Services
Ho Plaza
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3101
Tel: 607 255-5155
Email: gannett@cornell.edu
You've probably heard of the body's "fight or flight" response to stress. This expression is used to describe the body's automatic response to a perceived threat/danger. While this was especially helpful during early human history (think: "the lion is going to eat me"), this response can actually be detrimental if it is continually triggered by repeated or constant stressors, such as those associated with life in the 21st century. Learning to "turn off" this response when the threat (or perceived threat) no longer exists, is critical to maintaining balance and restoring your body's homeostasis.
Stress can positively or negatively affect your physical body, your emotions, and your cognition (ability to think and reason). When stress is managed well, you may feel invigorated, excited, "charged," or "in your zone." However, when stress is unmanaged, or extreme, your body and mind will suffer. Below are some common examples of unmanaged stress:
Emergencies
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