Trauma can be physical, chemical, or emotional, but regardless of the type, our body is primed to deal with trauma through the basic reactions of fight, flight, or freeze. When an animal is threatened, by a predator or another animal, they have a physiological reaction:
Heart rate goes up
Blood flow goes up
Muscles get filled with blood to help them run
Respiration increases
Digestion decreases
The amygdala - responsible for fear and anger - fires off rapidly
For humans, the predator can be an angry boss, a frustrated spouse, financial troubles, worry about the future, distress about political situations, etc. Needless to say, our bodies are in fight, flight, or freeze quite often, and this physiological response can be quite harmful long term!
In this episode we will discuss very practical and simple tools that you can use to protect your body from the trauma caused by emotional stress.
