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Stress happens—there's no way around it. It's your body's natural reaction to thoughts or events that make you feel threatened or in danger. And whether real or imagined, when you perceive a threat in your life, your nervous system goes into a "fight-or-flight" response, releasing stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to help you better handle an emergency situation.
In small doses stress can be good, helping you perform like a pro under a looming deadline at work or acting as a motivator to be your best when the moment calls for it. But prolonged stress can take a toll on your body, too. Here's how to tell if you're suffering from too much of it.
