Ever heard of the stress hormone? Cortisol earns this nickname because it helps kick your body into fight-flight-freeze mode during times of increased stress.
This hormone has several important functions, and the right amount can even help you form memories. This might help explain why mild anxiety can actually help improve memory.
Too much cortisol, on the other hand, can have the opposite effect. People with chronic or severe anxiety tend to have higher levels of cortisol, which makes sense considering that anxiety involves extreme, frequent worry about potential threats.
The constant stress you experience can keep your body stuck in a fight-flight-freeze response, ready to respond to danger.
