| Bodily reaction | Reason for this reaction | What you experience |
|---|---|---|
| Your brain struggles to think logically. | When you’re in danger, you don’t need to think, you just need to react. | You can’t think straight. You tend to act first and think later. |
| Your brain tunes in to notice any potential danger around you. | You need to spot danger to survive a dangerous situation. | You tend to notice things that add to stress. It is hard to notice signs that everything is OK and you become more anxious. |
| Your heart beats faster and the small blood vessels dilate. | Your heart pumps blood around the body to your lungs and large muscles so that you are ready to run away. | Your heart is pounding. You might feel lightheaded and sweaty. |
| Your digestive system slows down and your bowels relax. | You have no need to digest food when you’re under attack. You need to empty your bowels so that you can escape quickly. | You feel butterflies in your stomach and you don’t feel hungry. Instead, you need to go to the toilet. |
