The world is currently rife with discussions about the coronavirus pandemic and its effects, even on the living. Aside from the loss of jobs and income and normalcy in general, stress is a major factor that can lead to even more deaths.
In this week’s column, we will discuss stress and some coping mechanisms to deal with this unprecedented time in history.
The basics
Stress has always been a natural part of life and is actually an important survival mechanism: the fight or flight response. In the days when humankind lived a hunter/gatherer lifestyle, stress was often the difference between eating and being eaten. Imagine the scenario: You are tracking tonight’s dinner through the jungle when you inadvertently stumble into the path of a hungry bear. In response to this obviously stressful situation, your body: