Fight or Flight
Since the dawn of days, survival has been our number one focus. If we head back to the time of hunter/gatherers, encounters with lions, tigers and bears required an automatic response. Either:
Run Away
or
Stay and Fight
Depending on how long you’re attacking or bolting through the woods, it’s unlikely that you’re going to remain in this state of fight or flight for more than thirty minutes tops. You’ve either killed, been killed or gotten away. Fortunately, you’re sitting here, reading this right now, because your ancestors made the right decisions in these encounters. This survival trait has been passed along through the generations and it’s deeply ingrained in our systems.
During this temporary state, your body is shoveling all of its mental powers into what’s important:
- Pumping enough blood to your limbs
- Increasing your heart rate
- Increasing adrenaline to ensure that you have the energy necessary to sustain this state
As you can see, “immune system” isn’t on this list. Your body isn’t worried about infection while it’s fending off a wild beast or scaling a tree. It’s in a life-or-death situation. It’s got more important shit to do.
But what does that mean for you today?