Yesterday, I got the shock of my life when a woman suddenly stood in front of me as I waited in line inside my favorite coffee shop. The woman was in her mid-40s and apparently was a top business executive. For the life of me, I could not understand why she had the gall to cut in line. I felt my blood rush to my head and my heart thumping so loud — this time, because of anger. For me, it was another moment of anxiety in an already stressed out week. The good thing about the incident was that I was able to maintain my composure and did not allow Ms. No Manners to get to me. I just calmed myself and decided not to make a big deal out of it. After all, that woman may be just like me — a stressed-out career woman.
Like that career woman, all human beings are wired to feel various emotions whenever they encounter tense situations. A flood of stress hormones course through the bloodstream and trigger a rise in blood pressure and heart rate. The release of stress hormones also cause the intestinal muscles to contract. In fact, stress and anxiety accounts for millions of dollars spent for psychiatric care and counseling.
But you can fool your brain...