“People are disturbed not by a thing, but by their perception of a thing.” -Epictetus

All, if not most, of us have been haunted by a big looming test, financial problems or work difficulties at some point so we all know what anxiety feels like. Our minds race, we can’t stop tensing our brows and instead of sleeping we lie awake thinking useless thoughts. Anxiety is annoying, counterproductive and is seemingly useless, so why are we cursed with this wretched feeling?

Well, it turns out that anxiety isn’t useless because it’s part of the all important sympathetic nervous system, which is in charge of the fight or flight response that primes our bodies for action, particularly in situations that threaten survival. It’s there in the case that we encounter a dangerous situation, we can respond immediately.

In such a situation, our bodies would get flooded with epinephrine, a hormone that would temporarily but substantially aid our bodies in contracting our muscles and blood vessels, sending more blood to our heart and lungs, causing our pupils to dilate and heightening our sense of smell so we're better suited to deal with the situation at hand.

Although it’s not every day that our sympathetic system fires at an extreme level (well, hopefully not), our sympathetic system plays a vital role in a lesser degree to help us get tasks done like paying our bills or meeting work deadlines. Without it, possibly nothing would ever get done.

However, instead of just being wired to stress, we’re also gifted with a balancing yang to this sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic system which is the relaxation “feed or breed” response to help us maintain homeostasis. Yet, some people’s “fight or flight” response is always in gear causing chronic anxiety, which can damage cells, alter brain chemistry, exacerbate health problems and accelerate aging by eating away at the end caps of DNA called telomeres.

A little anxiety is healthy but chronic anxiety is not, so remember to breathe deeply, try to eat a balanced diet and exercise. If you need help, reach out to family, friends or community counselors.

If you’re interested in learning more about the biological underpinnings of the stress process, I recommend that you check out Dr. Robert Sapolsky’s book “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers."

I hope you enjoy the concise 3-minute lecture clip below on the psychology of stress by Dr. Robert Sapolsky.