Concerned physicians and news reports from the medical frontlines constantly warn us about the detrimental effects of stress.

The popular message is usually "Relax, take it easy… don't sweat the small stuff".

Easier said than done.

Modern life can be anything but relaxing - with work related pressures, family obligations, bill payments, pollution, traffic jams, nosey neighbors - it's enough to make you seriously consider living alone on a tropical island.

The following is a top ten list of life's most stressful events:

1. Death of spouse.

2. Divorce.

3. Marriage separation.

4. Jail term.

5. Death of loved one.

6. Personal injury or illness.

7. Marriage.

8. Loss of job.

9. Marital reconciliation.

10. Financial change.

If stress is an inevitable part of our lives, can we learn to not only manage it, but also harness it to our advantage?  In order to achieve this goal, the effects of stress on the mind and body must first be fully understood from the inside out.

Stress Response

Your body responds to the stress of rush hour traffic much the same way it would have hundreds of thousands of years ago, if you were being chase by a saber toothed tiger.

When the stressor presents itself, a sequence of events occurs inside your body that triggers your "fight or flight response".  In a split second, you marshal the resources to either stand your ground and fight or quickly run away from the perceived danger.

In a stressful situation, your body's response will follow a sequence similar to this:

1. A part of your brain called the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is activated by stress.The HPA acts as the command center of your endocrine system.

2. Prompted by the HPA, your brain releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine (also known as adrenaline).  This primes your brain to act quickly to deal with the threat.Eyesight and hearing may become enhanced.Short-term memory may be inhibited.

3. Steroid and stress hormones are released (such as glucocorticoids and cortisol) that prepare systems throughout the body for action.  These include circulation, metabolism, heart, lungs, skin and immune system.

4. Heart rate, breathing and blood pressure increase significantly supplying the brain and muscles with more blood and oxygen for action.

5. Fluids are diverted away from nonessential areas, leaving places like the throat and mouth dry. This makes it difficult to swallow or talk in a normal manner.

6. Digestion and elimination functions are shutdown as these are nonessential functions in a time of crisis. This may feel like butter flies or cramps in the stomach.

7. Blood is shunted away from the surface of the skin, to the heart and skeletal muscles.  This protects against excessive blood loss from potential injuries.  As a result, skin often feels cold and "clammy".

8. Some parts of the immune system are suppressed so that more infection fighting immune cells can be mobilized to areas of potential injury.

In the short term, the stress response is a necessary part of the human condition that enables us to survive. Unfortunately if this becomes a chronic state of being, detrimental health conditions can occur.

In part 2 we will discuss the impact that chronic stress can have on your overall health.