"We're experiencing chronic stress, which blocks our ability to hope. Here's why: the amygdala, the brain's alarm center, reacts with fight, flight, or freeze (Akil & Nestler, 2023; LeDoux, 1996). This reaction can save our lives in an emergency. When we're in a crosswalk and see a car speeding toward us, we can react by stopping or jumping out of the way."
"But when stress becomes chronic, it can compromise our health, weaken our immune system, lead to anxiety and depression, and keep us from thinking clearly (Akil & Nestler, 1023; Gouin, 2011). Chronic stress keeps us stuck in dysfunction, unable to move forward with hope. The stress reaction compromises our higher brain centers, undermining our ability to think clearly, remember, relate to others, and solve our problems (Brackett, 2025; Öhman et al., 2007)."
Worldwide anxiety and depression have increased amid rapid societal changes and pandemic aftereffects. Chronic stress activates the amygdala's fight, flight, or freeze responses, which protect in emergencies but impair higher brain functions when persistent. Persistent stress can compromise health, weaken immunity, increase anxiety and depression, and reduce clarity of thinking, memory, social connection, and problem solving. Stress reactions produce defensive behaviors: fighting, withdrawing, or freezing. The first step toward restoring hope is recognizing stress and applying accessible stress-relief strategies. Simple practices such as mindful breathing can reduce acute stress and create space to build hope through meaningful goals, pathways, and agency.
Read at Psychology Today
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