Stress can manifest in many different ways – from emotional suffering to physical symptoms like back or stomach pain.  The body is designed to withstand small amounts of stress.  When faced with a stressful event, your body releases specific hormones like cortisol that activate a range of physiological symptoms.  You’ve likely experienced this rush of adrenaline after a near-miss in the car.  The key is that after the stressful event passes, the body calms down and relaxes.  With chronic stress, there is no downtime.

Chronic stress is like a slow leak from a water pipe under your house.  Over time the leak grows, and what was once a tiny puddle can destroy the entire foundation.  With chronic stress, your body is trapped in fight or flight mode, and the constant wear and tear of stress hormones can impact your long-term health.
Stress management and stress resilience go hand-in-hand.  You may not be able to completely avoid certain stressful situations (like a problematic work environment), but you can learn how to better manage your response.  Behavioral stress management techniques combined with supplements and lifestyle behaviors can help you manage stress and the associated symptoms while supporting resilience.