I feel like my body is living one step ahead of danger all the time

Dear Delyara, That is the texture of stress in me now. Not drama. Anticipation. Shoulders raised before the email is opened. Stomach tight before the phone is answered. Jaw set before the child even starts crying. Heart quicker than necessary over ordinary things. The body preparing, bracing, scanning, trying to keep the whole day from going wrong before the day has even fully declared what it is. I am functioning, yes. That is what makes it easy to miss from outside. But inside, the constant readiness is expensive. I do not want my nervous system to become this permanently. Some days, I’m frightened it already has.