Unless we develop effective ways of defusing stress
(which, let’s face it, is an unavoidable aspect of twenty-first-
century living), cortisol can become elevated for long
periods, resulting in some serious physiological
consequences.
But before we get to that, let’s define what chronic stress
is and isn’t. Chronic stress is not what you feel when giving
an occasional presentation, suffering through a move, or the
chance traffic jam when you’re already late. The forms that
chronic stress usually take are the following (and make a
mental note if any of these seem familiar):
Showing up every day to a job that you hate
Prolonged financial hardship
Having to work under a boss you dislike
Being stuck in a long-term relationship gone sour
Having a bully at school
Military duty
Chronic noise exposure
A stressful daily commute to and from work
Medical school (—Dr. Paul)Unpleasant, protracted, and a recent invention in
evolutionary terms, this type of chronic stress activates the
amygdala, that primitive survival region associated with
fear. Its job is to kick off a cascade of biochemical processes
that were initially meant to help scuttle us from harm’s way
when we were confronted by a physical threat—say, a lion
charging toward us on the savanna. Imagine this scenario:
you are a hunter-gatherer going about your day, peacefully