Flight or Fight is not good for your heart
The heart is one organ that directly receives all the stress signals of the body. If a bear or moose is chasing you, the heart must be the first one to get the message in order to pump the necessary blood to the limbs for a potential fight or flight escape plan. The body is designed to get your legs full of blood and running fast when you become scared. This is the Fight or flight response in the body which activates the sympathetic nervous system. This nervous system is designed to keep you safe, which is very helpful.
In today’s world, being chased may be stressing to meet deadlines or rushing to get the kids to school because the stress response in the body is comparable. Some people send a good deal of life living in flight or fight response mode. The stress receptors in the heart have the job of processing the stress signals and then getting rid of the waste products from the signaled stress. These waste products are drained into the heart’s lymphatic vessels and then pumped into circulation by the heart..If the lymph system is congested and the stressors keep coming, soon there won’t be enough available stress receptors in the heart to cope with the stress on the heart This can cause stress on the heart and compromise heart health. Over time, the inability of the heart’s lymph vessels to drain the waste products of stress may cause more undue stress and lymph congestion for the heart.
It is important to listen to the signals your body is giving you. The signals start as a whisper. Spending time doing things that nurture you and bring you joy are highly recommended for managing stress, reducing the risk of anxiety, and improving immune system.
Our heart races for a reason. Hearts do not lie. If you listen, your heart will tell you what is right for you and what you should do to take care of yourself. You may be surprised if you start to follow your heart, where life may take you. This may not be a very popular shift for the people who are close to you or rely on you to serve them. A life that includes care for yourself is essential for staying healthy longterm.
