Our brains have an internal alarm bell called the amygdala. When we feel stressed or anxious this sets of our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response). This alarm and reaction phase is useful historically to run it right lions and tigers. However our 21st lives means work, traffic, bill’s, family, almost anything might set off our inbuilt alarm!!

This causes our bodies to increase heart rate, blood pressure, increase stress hormones Cortisol and Adrenalin and release fat and sugar for energy. At home, work or in the car we are not running from lions and tigers. If this fight or flight response stays elevated are weight, waist size, cholesterol,  blood pressure and inflammation all increase.

Learning to recognize triggers for stress and anxiety is very important. If your alarm bell is constantly triggered this affects your mental and physical wellbeing. 

Mindfulness has been clinically proven to change how the brain works, reducing the connection to the alarm bell. By practising mindfulness each day we may learn to let the small things go that make us angry, irritated, stressed and anxious. We may learn to view each day a little more kindly and react less all of which is good for the mind body connection. Our internal alarm bell rings less and we notice we feel more peaceful and calm!