Anxiety and stress in all their various forms have received lots of bad publicity. You have probably seen information on popular media about the devastating effects of stress on our health. Less focus has been placed on the importance of the stress response in our basic survival as individuals and as a species. Anxiety, like many emotional responses, has a purpose. In order to use anxiety and stress wisely, we first need to have an understanding of its role and embrace that it is part of what makes us human AND it is necessary. The video links below will help you begin to gain an understanding of the brain’s mechanism for handling threat and the physical responses that accompany them. An appreciation and understanding of the biology behind the stress response, will help you make it a valuable ally rather than a villain in your life.
Robert Sapolsky, Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University
Stress Response: Savior to Killer (5:09 minutes)
How Your Brain Works on Stress (Chris Glorioso; 8:01)