Relaxed businessman on the job. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Stress does all sorts of terrible things to your body. This reaction, meant to give us the necessary boost to fight or fly when faced with a life-threatening situation, is a relic of a different era, as dangerous and vestigial as an appendix that’s ready to burst. Just a few of the things that stress can do to the human body when left unchecked:

-It slows and shuts down major bodily processes like digestion, growth and healing.

-It causes deterioration of everything from your gums to your heart.

-One of its major byproducts, cortisol, causes plaque to build up in your arteries.

-It puts you at risk for numerous health disorders, like heart disease, insomnia, digestive issues, depression, obesity, memory impairment, skin problems and many more. Continue Reading