This response is your body's reaction to danger and was designed to help you survive stressful and life-threatening situations.

The autonomic nervous system has two components, the sympathetic nervous system, and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system functions like a gas pedal in a car. It triggers the fight-or-flight response, providing the body with a burst of energy so that it can respond to perceived dangers.

There are three stages to stress: the alarm stage, the resistance stage, and the exhaustion stage.

The amygdala activates this fight-or-flight response without any initiative from you. When that part of your brain senses danger, it signals your brain to pump stress hormones, preparing your body to either fight for survival or flee to safety.