The stress response (our fight/flight/freeze response) is not new to the human race. This response (or lack thereof) was responsible for the life or death of people long ago. Although a threat to our safety still remains at times, our brains can not distinguish between a real threat or a perceived threat. Our brains have been conditioned through experiences we have encountered which sets the stage for similar responses in the future.
So....what happens? When our brains determine we are "in danger" the amygdala signals the release of cortisol (our stress hormone). When this floods our bodies, our faces may feel warm, our legs/arms may shake, our heart races and our breathing speeds up. Sound familiar? Our body is now in survival mode. The trouble is, in today's world, our stress response does not only affect us when we are in danger. Our brains mistake many situations for dangerous ones (such as speaking in front of large groups or social situations/conversations), leading us to frequently live within the stress response.
Students encounter many situations throughout the day that can trigger this response. It can range from forgetting their homework to anxiety about a quiz/test or even a social interaction with a peer or adult. There are numerous times that students may feel this throughout the day and when they do, the ability for them to process and learn information greatly decreases as their body just "needs to survive". With the ability to learn impaired, students miss many opportunities to be more successful. Often times, depending on what has caused the response, it can return over and over again, daily impacting their life.