For the most part, we are not talking about truly life- threatening situations as catalysts for the stress response in humans. Most of our worst fear, frustration, and pain is evoked by the internal Stress Maker, and fleeing, fighting, and freezing do not help.

A. T. Simeons, a student of the stress pioneer Hans Selye, wrote in 1961, “Fight- flight is an antiquated mechanism that has not kept evolutionary pace with the development of the human mind.” Of course, the stress system has its place. If you are engaged, freely in a challenging activity, such as skiing down a slope or giving a public talk, your stress system will activate and help gear you up for the challenge. Your vision and thinking will become clearer. Your body will be prepared for the coming demand. Or if you are in a genuinely life- threatening situation, such as a fire in your home, the stress system will quickly mobilize your resources to save your life. These are situations in which stress is good, but they are a very small percentage of the stressors we encounter. As soon as stress becomes chronic and persistent, the biochemical imbalance created interferes with health, performance, and mental clarity.