The process by which this happens is complex, it begins with what your Mind perceives as a challenge or a threat to your well-being, a “Stress” that activates your Reticular Alarm System (aka; “The Stress Response,” or “The Fight or Flight Response”).  This is actually your Mind’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert.  In emergency situations, your Reticular Alarm System can save your life by giving you the extra strength to defend yourself, or the quickness to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.  Your Reticular Alarm System also helps you rise to meet challenges; keeping you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpening your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or driving you to study for an exam when you'd rather be at the beach working on your tan.

The Reticular Alarm System is part of your Sympathetic Nervous System, when activated, your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of Stress Hormones, like Adrenaline and Cortisol.  These hormones rouse the body for action.  Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper.  These physical changes increase your strength and stamina, speed your reaction time, and enhance your focus, preparing you to either fight or flee from the challenge or danger at hand. 

While this is all very necessary at the time, the problems begin when you don’t disengage, or when you’re faced with so many different Stresses, that your Sympathetic Nervous System remains activated, and your Parasympathetic Nervous System doesn’t get to perform it’s functions, which are to Relax and Rejuvenate you, to Heal you and to keep you Healthy, as your Immune System is part of the Parasympathetic Nervous System.  When you remain dominated by your Sympathetic Nervous System for too long, Sleep becomes Difficult, your Productivity Decreases, you become Moody, your Relationships Deteriorate, your Quality of Life Drops, and your Health Suffers.  Your Blood Pressure remains High, your Immune System is Suppressed, your Aging Process is Accelerated, your Risk of Anxiety, Depression, Heart Attack, Stroke and Infertility Increases.

The solution is to find a way to disengage, to turn off your Reticular Alarm System and begin functioning from the Parasympathetic part of your Nervous System rather than the Sympathetic.  Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that only compound the problem. You might drink too much to unwind at the end of a stressful day, fill up on comfort food, take prescription medications, escape in front of the TV or computer.