Chronic Stress and your Health
When it comes to stress, most of us assume that this is a natural state and simply part of living in this world. While this may on some level be the case (most of us are unable to escape to a peaceful mountain top somewhere), it is nevertheless wrong to assume that this is natural. In fact, our bodies are not designed to withstand prolonged and continuous stress. This is why today there are some many chronic and stress related disorders. 
Our bodies were designed to respond to stressful situations with the fight or flight response. This response is natural, in that it has an evolutionary purpose. When faced with a life-threatening situation such as a saber tooth tiger attack, our bodies become stressed and heart rate accelerates in order to prepare us for either fighting or fleeing.However, somewhere along the way our natural stress response started to come about not in response to immediate danger, but rather in response to our thoughts about potential ‘dangers.’ These ‘dangers’ are mostly no longer cave lions or bears, but instead work deadlines, money problems, parenting issues and the like. These non-immediate problems can easily give rise to a different kind of stress. This kind of stress being one that comes from repetitive and patterned thinking.Dwelling on potential future hazards is known to raise the heart rate, blood pressure and generally create a physiological stress response in the human body. All too many of us are therefore living in a perpetual state of fight or flight. What this does to the body is wear out the adrenal glands as well as stressing our immune systems. This is not a natural way to live and is not a necessary component of our world. Although we all face challenges, they need not lead to chronic stress. Finding ways to quiet the mind and let go of this kind of disaster thinking is essential if we are to keep our bodies and spirits healthy.The best way to go about this is to take up some sort of practice that helps calm the mind. Meditation, yoga, tai chi, or simple breathing exercises can help. Physical activity is also a great stress reliever and a way to focus on the body. For anyone suffering from chronic stress, take a look at the state of your mind and find a way to work towards changing your patterns of thinking. This is really the best hope for changing your stress level and as such your physical health and well being. Wherever you go, your mind and thoughts will follow you, so take care of this and no matter where you are you’ll have access to a stress-free (and disease free) state.
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