God created our bodies and all the intricate systems that function within us. Psalm 139 tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God created us with the “fight-or-flight response,” also called hyperarousal or the acute stress response. This system helps us when we perceive danger. A chain of events is triggered within our bodies to escape the situation or fight whatever is threatening us. (Think of a caveman running away from or fighting a wild animal.)

When we perceive a threat, our nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. The hormones rouse the body for emergency action. It’s extraordinary how this system works. Most people don’t realize how many things kick in and shut down in our bodies to protect us from danger.

Physical signs that can indicate the fight-or-flight response has kicked in include:

Dilated pupils: In times of danger, the body prepares itself to be aware of its surroundings; dilation of the pupils allows more light into the eyes and gives us better vision.
Pale or flushed skin: Blood flow to the surface areas of the body is reduced while flow to the muscles, brain, legs, and arms is increased. Paleness or alternating between a pale and flushed face as blood rushes to the head and brain is common. The body's blood clotting ability also increases to prevent excess blood loss in the event of injury.
Rapid heart rate and breathing: Heartbeat and respiration rate increase to provide the body with the energy and oxygen needed to fuel an immediate response to danger.
Trembling: The muscles tense and become primed for action, which can cause trembling or shaking.

These physical changes increase our strength and stamina, speed up our reaction time, and enhance our focus. They prepare us to either fight or flee from the danger at hand. After the threat is gone, it takes between 20 to 60 minutes for the body to return to its pre-arousal levels.

God created the stress response to protect us. When it works properly, it helps us stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergencies, stress can save our lives—it gives us extra strength to defend ourselves. It was never intended to be activated permanently and never shut off.

The stress response also helps us meet challenges. Stress is what keeps us on our toes during a presentation at work, sharpens our concentration when we’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives us to study when we’d rather be watching TV.

These things are good stress. Perhaps you didn’t realize that there is such a thing as good stress, but there is, and its official name is Eustress. It motivates us to meet deadlines or finish projects, and it can be triggered when faced with a fun challenge or competition that pushes us out of our comfort zones. Eustress helps us stay motivated, work toward goals, and feel good about ourselves and life in general. But, beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing significant damage to our health, mood, productivity, and quality of life.

While the fight/flight response happens automatically, that doesn’t mean that it is always accurate. Sometimes we respond this way even when there is no real threat. Phobias are examples of how the fight/flight response might be falsely seen as a perceived threat.

A person terrified of heights might experience a stress response if they have to go to the top floor of a skyscraper. Their body might go on high alert, with their heartbeat and respiration rate increasing. If the response is severe, it can lead to a panic attack.

Understanding the body's natural fight-or-flight response is one way to help yourself cope better with stress. When you notice that you are becoming tense, you can start looking for ways to calm down and relax your body.

In the age we live in, most of our perceived threats are not physical harm but the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual demands we must deal with on a near-constant basis. These demands leave our bodies dealing with the same biological responses as our ancestors running from saber tooth tigers. But because there is no let-up in the demands placed on us, our bodies remain stuck in this flight/fight mode, severely damaging our bodies, especially our hearts and immune systems. When this happens, it is called distress, and most of us know it by its more common name, stress.

The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors. We usually think of stressors as unfavorable, such as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship. However, anything that puts high demands on you or forces you to adjust can be stressful. Positive events such as getting married, buying a house, going to college, or receiving a promotion can also be stressful.

What causes stress depends, at least in part, on how you perceive your circumstances. What is stressful to you may not faze someone else; they may even enjoy it. For example, your morning commute may make you anxious and tense because you worry that traffic will make you late. However, others may find the trip relaxing because they enjoy alone time and allow more than enough time to get to work so they can enjoy listening to music, books on tapes, or sermons while they drive.

When we live with high levels of stress, we put our entire well-being at risk. It may seem like there’s nothing we can do about our stressful situations. The bills won’t stop coming, and there will never be more hours in the day. For caregivers, the demands placed on you physically, emotionally, and mentally may not change. No matter our situation, every small step we take to help ourselves adds up and makes a difference.

Here is a stress test to take that is eye-opening and helpful to understand how stress is currently impacting your health. The test is called The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory. You mark down the point value of each of these life events that have happened to you during the year. Then, add up all your points to calculate your final score. I have posted it on a separate page by itself also, so you can find it easily in the future if needed.

150 points or less | a relatively low amount of life change and low susceptibility to stress-induced health breakdown

150 to 300 points | 50% chance of health breakdown in the next two years

300 points or more | 80% chance of health breakdown in the next two years, according to the Holmes-Rahe statistical prediction model

In addition to the external stresses we face, there are also internal causes of stress. Examples of external stress causes listed on the Holmes scale include life changes, work, relationship difficulties, financial problems, or just being too busy.

Examples of internal causes of stress are the inability to accept the things you can’t change, pessimism, negative self-talk, unrealistic expectations, perfectionism, and lack of assertiveness.

I want to go back and expand on something I touched on about phobias. I want to make sure that it is clear that some people are born with health issues and disorders that impact their brain activity. These issues can leave them stuck in a constant flight/fight mode. I have multiple people in my life who deal with this. Activation in the brain area that causes the fight/flight mode is seen on SPECT scans of the brain and is an identifiable symptom of Sensory Dysfunction Disorder and some mental health and neurological disorders.

I want to expound on this subject because I know many people who have been misunderstood and wrongly judged by others due to a lack of understanding about anxiety, phobias, and fears. When people face a lack of understanding, compassion, or empathy, that only adds to their stress and pain. Many people say hurtful things like, “you just need more faith.” “You just need to be stronger, or just get over it.” Stress, anxiety, phobia disorders, and trauma have been scientifically and medically proven to exact physiological changes in the body and brain. It’s not just a “mind over matter” thing for people who deal with mental health issues such as anxiety and panic disorders, OCD, and PTSD. The good news is that even if you have a disorder that impacts your stress and anxiety levels, there are still things that you can do to help yourself.

Physical signs that can indicate the fight-or-flight response has kicked in include:

Dilated pupils: In times of danger, the body prepares itself to be aware of its surroundings; dilation of the pupils allows more light into the eyes and gives us better vision.

Rapid heart rate and breathing: Heartbeat and respiration rate increase to provide the body with the energy and oxygen needed to fuel an immediate response to danger.

Trembling: The muscles tense and become primed for action, which can cause trembling or shaking.

These physical changes increase our strength and stamina, speed up our reaction time, and enhance our focus. They prepare us to either fight or flee from the danger at hand. After the threat is gone, it takes between 20 to 60 minutes for the body to return to its pre-arousal levels.

God created the stress response to protect us. When it works properly, it helps us stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergencies, stress can save our lives—it gives us extra strength to defend ourselves. It was never intended to be activated permanently and never shut off.

The stress response also helps us meet challenges. Stress is what keeps us on our toes during a presentation at work, sharpens our concentration when we’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives us to study when we’d rather be watching TV.

While the fight/flight response happens automatically, that doesn’t mean that it is always accurate. Sometimes we respond this way even when there is no real threat. Phobias are examples of how the fight/flight response might be falsely seen as a perceived threat.

A person terrified of heights might experience a stress response if they have to go to the top floor of a skyscraper. Their body might go on high alert, with their heartbeat and respiration rate increasing. If the response is severe, it can lead to a panic attack.

Understanding the body's natural fight-or-flight response is one way to help yourself cope better with stress. When you notice that you are becoming tense, you can start looking for ways to calm down and relax your body.

150 points or less | a relatively low amount of life change and low susceptibility to stress-induced health breakdown

150 to 300 points | 50% chance of health breakdown in the next two years

300 points or more | 80% chance of health breakdown in the next two years, according to the Holmes-Rahe statistical prediction model

In addition to the external stresses we face, there are also internal causes of stress. Examples of external stress causes listed on the Holmes scale include life changes, work, relationship difficulties, financial problems, or just being too busy.

Examples of internal causes of stress are the inability to accept the things you can’t change, pessimism, negative self-talk, unrealistic expectations, perfectionism, and lack of assertiveness.