Most of us have been taught to disconnect from our bodies and our internal knowing and look outside of ourselves for the answers we seek.

We are taught that authority figures, such as parents, teachers, doctors have the answers and know what’s best.

Society teaches us that our possessions, accomplishments, job, physical appearance, number of friends, the success of our family or romantic relationships, income, etc. determine our worth and value in the world.

We even look outside ourselves for love, happiness, peace, and our sense of self.

The ironic thing is that we look out through our own personal lens and sense of safety and then make a determination about what the world wants us to be.

I’m sure this is not news to you that just as drugs can have a negative impact on your brain, stress, especially chronic stress, can do the same.

The late Bruce McEwen, a neuroscientist from Rockefeller University, illustrated this when he said, “Because stress changes the way the brain’s neurons communicate with each other, chronic stress can cause our brains, nervous systems, and our behavior to adjust to a vigilant and reactive state.”

Essentially, chronic stress constantly sends your body and brain signals that you are under threat. If left unchecked, it can wreak havoc on your overall well-being and eventually bring you to the point of burnout. I picture this underlying current of stressors, large and small, as cracks in our resilience and ability to respond rather than react.