Stress

I just want to give a brief overview of what happens in our body when we are stressed.
So we have an original event that causes stress, our bodies recognize this event and sends a signal to certain organs to get ready, i.e. the brain signals the release of epinephrine (a hormone) so we get a short term burst of adrenaline which readies us for a short term boost of energy...If the stress continues then cortisol is released and it sticks around for days (cortisol is our get out of danger hormone). It promotes inflammation and a host of other health issues.
In stressful times our brain, lungs, muscles and heart are on alert. They must strategize for what is to come. This means our digestive system, reproductive system and immune system are being ignored and not nourished. This can lead to health problems. We need to recognize stress when it creeps or bursts in and come up with ways to deal with and avoid it. Proper, restful sleep, and proper nutrition are key in this as is avoiding something stressful if at all possible. Meditation and practices like yoga, Tai'Chi, Qi Gong and deep breathing are also helpful. To do deep breathing you want to breath in through the nose for a count of 3 hold it for a count of 1 or 2 and exhale for a count of 6. The breath needs to go into the abdomen and be a deep belly breath. If you put one hand on your chest and the other on your belly you will be able to tell if you are achieving this.
We all get stressed and we do not always realize it but the more aware we become of our bodies the more noticeable it will be when it happens. Being proactive and responsible for our health is a great stress reliever. It is in my life.