Stress Makes You Stupid

Something I learned this year is that stress makes you stupid🤦‍♀️. It should be obvious, but I had to hear it from someone else to really grasp what it meant.

When one is in a state of extreme stress, one goes into ‘fight or flight’ mode.

Biologically, this prepares your body for the pending danger it thinks it's about to enter into. Blood rushes from the decision-making part of your brain to your large organs and muscles ready to literally fight for your life. This means there is less blood flowing to your brain, and less oxygen reaches your brain.

What does this mean for us? We are seldom operating with a clear mind. We do not make decisions when we are at our best. We can’t solve problems when it’s most necessary. Creativity dwindles and good ideas don’t come to mind when we need it most.

In our current world, we tend to operate in a constant state of stress, whether it is related to our job, our family, our financial state, the crime in our area, or the war, death, and destruction we so often see on TV.

How do we get out of this state of mind? Learn to slow down. Take time out for yourself. Go for a walk, read a book, do some yoga, practice meditation, or just breathe, and bring yourself back to your inner being.

This is where clarity of mind, creativity, and peace exists and emanates from, and this is the state in which we should be operating at all times.

We all have this capability. We just need to notice when we are feeling stressed so that we can slow down and return to our original state of well-being. We all have it. We were born with it. Some of us just need to be reminded of that.

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