Stress is one of the most prevalent and debilitating diseases in America, and nowhere is it more rampant than in the legal profession. As they say, stress kills, and it does every day in this country. Now, stress is not only a scientifically documented disease, but it is incurable as stress is a necessary part of our human DNA. Humans are reliant upon stress to survive.
While the sources of stress have transformed since the time when we humans were living in caves, hunting and gathering our food, all with the threat of neighboring predators, the physiological response to stress remains the same. When faced with a stressful situation—also known as a stressor or stimulus—the reptilian portion of our brain responds, and instructs our body to fight or flee. Since you cannot control all the stressors in your environment, you need tools to aid you in controlling your stress response.
