<aside> <img src="/icons/light-bulb_brown.svg" alt="/icons/light-bulb_brown.svg" width="40px" /> When you perceive a situation to be threatening, or you can't control the outcome, your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) fires up and your body taps into resources that it needs to manage the danger:

• The body metabolises a huge amount of energy (so it’s available)
• Pupils dilate (so we can see better)
• Heart rate increases so we can run, fight, or hide
• More glucose is released into the blood stream to make it available for the cells
• Blood flow shifts to extremities (muscle) and away from our vital organs (so we can move quickly if we need to)
• The immune system dials down
• Adrenaline and cortisol flood the muscles to provide a rush of energy
• Circulation moves out of our forebrain into the hind-brain (so we have less capacity to think creatively, and rely more so on instincts)

This also means that "less essential" functions, such as immunity, digestive function, hormonal balance... are all neglected.

We are built to deal with these stressors in the short-term, but usually with-in a state of hours the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) winds up and pulls you down into a calm and relaxed state.

I repeat: We are not designed to stay in this state for extended periods...

In addition, due to our large brains (as humans), we are capable of thinking about problems, reliving past events, and forecasting future situations—producing mind-created stress.

As far as the stress response goes, the body doesn’t know the difference between an original/real event and a mind-created event.

One of the chemical reactions triggered in response to the thought is what's called an emotion. This emotional feeling further feeds thoughts and before long they become wired into our neural circuitry.

As a result, this emotional-thought loop is capable of pinning you into survival mode, again, mind-creates stress.

When you fire these same pathways over and over and over again your body remains in survival mode and essential functions can decay, as they are never the top priority.

This is the first domino in burnout.

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