system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:What happens exactly to our bodies as we experience stress and anxiety? How does the body cope in positive and negative ways with this?
gpt
The body responds to stress by releasing the hormone cortisol. This is part of the bodies fight or flight response in order to raise blood sugar levels for our muscles to use. This is important to escape from potentially dangerous situations. When cortisol or stress hormones are elevated, or heart rate also increases and other bodily functions such as digestion and the immune system are put on halt. You can see why elevated levels of stress hormones can be harmful to your body as it needs time to "rest and digest".