Whether you have just been promoted or fired, whether you are newly retired or about to undergo surgery, whether you have answered the phone to learn that a loved one has died or that you have won the lottery - in each of these situations, you will experience stress. And you will find the physical evidence of stress (the stress response) is always the same: your heart pounds, you breathe hard, your palms get sweaty, your stomach ties in knots, your blood pressure rises, the pupils of your eyes dilate, and your digestion grinds to a halt.
