If you’re like most highway drivers, you’ve likely seen a car alongside yours suddenly stray into your lane, causing you to quickly swerve to avoid being hit. In addition to feeling a pounding heart and quickened breathing, your muscles may also tense and you may break into a sweat.
This is called a “fight-or-flight” response, honed over many centuries in response to stressful situations. It works like this: When threatened, our bodies release a hormone called cortisol which allows us to remain on high alert. When the threat passes, our cortisol levels drop.
