In Summary

Regardless of the response, stressful scenarios result in a physiological reaction that can be helpful in the short-term but can be damaging both physically and mentally in the long-term. In modern life, stressors can come quickly and consistently in a way that can snowball throughout the day or week, even with active and effective responses. Being able to recover from the impact of stressors is extremely important.

Reframing stressors and obstacles as challenges and learning opportunities can minimise the negative impact of unresolved stress. However, this takes practice, and we can use each stressful experience to learn new ways of self-soothing and calming instead of reactively fighting or fleeing. In the absence of stressors, you can’t learn or practice new behaviours or coping skills.

Self-care is an excellent place to start your recovery from and reduce your stress hormone levels in the body, but also to protect against its long-term impact.