Stress

Mobilization, Not Malfunction

Stress is not inherently “bad”; it is a generic system for energy mobilization. Mechanistically, it is the activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System, designed to liberate energy (glucose) and narrow focus to handle immediate demands. The problem arises not from the stress response itself, but from the inability to turn it off. The brain treats email notifications with the same neurochemical urgency as a physical threat, keeping the system stuck in high-RPM “fight” mode without the release of physical action.

Allostatic Load

While acute stress is performance-enhancing, chronic stress leads to “Allostatic Load”—the cumulative wear and tear on the body.

• The Cortisol Tax: Chronic activation of the HPA Axis (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal) keeps cortisol levels elevated. While cortisol is necessary for alertness, constantly high levels degrade synaptic connections in the prefrontal cortex (loss of emotional regulation) and suppress the immune system.

• State Rigidity: A healthy nervous system is flexible, oscillating easily between alertness and rest. A stressed system is rigid, unable to downshift even when the demand has passed.

The Off-Switch Protocols

You cannot “think” your way out of a stress response; you must use physiological levers to signal safety to the autonomic nervous system.

• The Decompression: Most people carry stress from work into the home because they lack a “boundary event.” A dedicated 20-minute Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) or Yoga Nidra session acts as a manual reset for the nervous system, forcing the brain into a parasympathetic state.

• The Mindset Shift: Neuroscience shows that the belief that stress is harmful is a stronger predictor of health decline than the stress itself. Viewing the stress response as “body mobilization” rather than “damage” alters the ratio of DHEA (growth hormone) to cortisol, turning a threat response into a challenge response.