Stress is an unavoidable part of life, and while it often carries a negative connotation, it is actually a fundamental survival mechanism. When faced with a perceived threat, whether physical or emotional, the body instinctively reacts to protect itself. This automatic response is commonly known as the "fight, flight, or freeze" response. While it serves an essential function in dangerous situations, chronic activation of this response due to daily stressors can have significant consequences for mental and physical health.

The body’s response to stress is rooted in human evolution. When our ancestors encountered a predator, their nervous systems immediately prepared them to either confront the threat (fight), escape to safety (flight), or become still and unnoticed (freeze). While modern-day stressors may not include wild animals, our nervous system reacts similarly to job pressures, financial worries, or social conflicts.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, stress is the body's response to change, activating a physiological reaction that helps us adapt and protect ourselves. While short-term stress can be beneficial, prolonged exposure can lead to an overactive stress response, negatively impacting overall well-being.

The Three Stress Responses: Fight, Flight, and Freeze

1. Fight

The fight response prepares the body for direct action. When triggered, the nervous system releases adrenaline, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. While this reaction once helped early humans fend off predators, today it manifests as irritability, frustration, or aggression.

For instance, the employee who has experienced too much workload may work extremely long hours just to succeed. In short term, the action may produce good results but mostly ends in burnout, anxiety, and physical illness, for example, tension headache or digestion problems.

2. Fight

The flight response triggers an intense need to remove oneself from a stressful situation. Just as our ancestors would flee from danger, modern individuals may avoid conflict, quit jobs impulsively, or detach from relationships when overwhelmed.

Flight mode is linked with restlessness and anxiety. Individuals may have a sense of needing to get up and go-pacing, changing environments constantly, or avoiding tasks that seem too overwhelming. Someone with a flight response might have the desire to change jobs constantly, relocate constantly, or become reclusive in order to avoid perceived dangers.

3. Freeze

The freeze response occurs when the nervous system perceives a threat as too overwhelming to fight or flee. Rather than taking action, individuals shut down, feeling numb, disconnected, or paralyzed by fear.

Unlike fight or flight, which involve heightened activation, freeze mode slows down physiological functions. A person experiencing freeze mode may feel physically unable to move, struggle to make decisions, or find themselves dissociating from their emotions. This can manifest in situations such as public speaking anxiety, where someone might "blank out" or feel stuck in the moment.

What Happens in the Body During A Stressful Event?

When faced with a stressor, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activates, triggering physiological changes, including:

• Increased heart rate and breathing: The body pumps more oxygen to muscles and the brain in case action is needed.
• Muscle tension: The body prepares for movement, sometimes causing trembling or stiffness.
• Dilated pupils: Vision sharpens to detect potential threats.
• Dry mouth: Saliva production decreases as the body redirects energy to essential functions.
• Changes in skin tone: Blood flow is directed to vital organs, sometimes making the skin appear pale or flushed.

For those experiencing the freeze response, the body undergoes a different reaction, often reducing heart rate and causing physical immobility rather than heightened activation.

Strategies for Coping and Managing the Stress Response

While the stress response is necessary for survival, frequent activation due to daily stressors can take a toll on health. Recognizing your default response—whether fight, flight, or freeze—can help in developing effective coping mechanisms.

1. Moving to a Safe Space

If possible, changing your environment can help signal to your brain that the threat has passed. Stepping outside for fresh air, finding a quiet place, or distancing yourself from overwhelming stimuli can help regulate emotions.

2. Practicing Controlled Breathing

Deep, slow breathing can be used to counteract the stress response by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation. Techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing or the 4-7-8 method (inhale for four seconds, hold for seven, exhale for eight) can be particularly effective in calming the body.

3. Engaging in Physical Activity

This helps release pent-up energy and aids in the endorphin cascade, natural boosters for our mood.

4. Seeking Social Support

Relieving oneself from stress can come in many ways, but sharing it with trusted friends, a family member, or a good therapist will sure give that psychological boost of hope. Social support is an especially effective way of cushioning people against the stressors that they are subjected to in chronic forms.

When to Seek Professional Help

While occasional stress is normal, chronic activation of the fight, flight, or freeze response can indicate underlying mental health concerns, such as anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If stress is affecting daily life—leading to sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, or persistent feelings of fear—it may be time to consult a mental health professional.

A simple five-factor risk score may help identify people at high risk of dementia, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where around 60% of the world's dementia cases now occur.

Developed and validated by researchers at Northumbria University, the risk score uses five everyday factors to identify older adults at higher risk of dementia. It aims to address a gap in dementia research, as existing prediction tools have largely been developed using data from high-income countries and may not work as well in lower-income settings.

The research team developed the model using data from more than 11,000 older adults across seven countries and three continents.

“We know the burden of dementia is shifting towards lower-income parts of the world, yet the prediction models clinicians and researchers rely on were designed with wealthier populations in mind. This model is a step towards changing that. It is simple, it is built for the settings where it is needed most, and it gives researchers a practical way to find the people who should be the focus of future studies and trials,” said Dr Eduwin Pakpahan, from Northumbria University's Applied Statistics and Data Science Research Group. The study is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

What Are The Five Factors Used To Predict Dementia Risk?

Also read: WHO's New Dementia Guidelines Prioritize Healthy Habits, Warn Against Supplements

The model can be applied using information gathered through a straightforward conversation with an older adult and, where relevant, a family member or carer. It does not require blood tests, brain scans or specialist equipment.

The five factors included in the risk score are:

• Age: The strongest single predictor. Dementia risk rises meaningfully from age 70 and more steeply from 80 onwards.
• Social engagement: This includes whether a person is married or living with others, how often they meet friends or family, and whether they participate in community or religious groups.
• Physical activity: The model considers how active a person is in daily life, across both work and leisure. Everyday movement, such as farming, walking to the market or doing household tasks, also counts.
• High blood pressure: Uncontrolled hypertension can damage the blood vessels supplying the brain over time. It is common, often undiagnosed in lower-income settings, and inexpensive to manage.
• Difficulty managing money: A family member or carer is asked whether the person has experienced a noticeable change in their ability to handle finances. This can be one of the early everyday signs of cognitive change.

How Does The Dementia Risk Score Work?

Each factor contributes points towards a total score ranging from 0 to 9. A person scoring 0 has around a 1% chance of developing dementia within three years, while someone scoring 9 has a nearly 19% chance.

The researchers built and tested the model across seven sites in China, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico and Peru. It achieved a performance score of 0.75, above the 0.70 threshold generally regarded as clinically useful.

However, the researchers emphasise that the tool is primarily intended for research rather than routine screening of the general population. It could give researchers and clinical trial teams a practical, low-cost way to identify and recruit people at higher risk of dementia.

The team has also called for the model to be validated in regions not covered by the study, particularly South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Read More: Dementia Is More Than Forgotten Birthdays, Lost Keys: Doctors Explain Early Signs Before Memory Loss

Why Is A Dementia Risk Prediction Tool Important?

Dementia affects more than 57 million people worldwide, with around 60% of cases occurring in LMICs across Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa.

Identifying people at higher risk could help researchers in these regions plan studies and clinical trials that better reflect their populations. A simple tool based on everyday information may also make risk assessment more accessible in settings where specialised diagnostic resources are limited.

From Independence Day and Janmashtami to Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam, Eid, Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali, Christmas and New Year, the period from August to January means celebrations across the country. However, some can also suffer from stress, loneliness and worsening of pre-existing mental health symptoms.

In India, festivals can provide connection, cultural continuity and family bonding. However, celebration is not positive for everyone. For some, the period can lead to issues such as social pressure, loneliness, grief, financial concerns and even interpersonal conflict. Festive periods can be challenging for the general population, while people with pre-existing mental health conditions may be vulnerable to worsening symptoms, increased sensitivities or relapse.

Festivals carry an expectation that everyone should be happy. People are expected to participate, dress up, attend gatherings and appear enthusiastic. Though some may experience anxiety, burnout, depression or emotional exhaustion, maintaining this expected level of participation can become another source of stress. Emotional wellbeing does not automatically change because it is a festival. Recognising this can reduce guilt and self-criticism.

Family Gatherings And Emotional Sensitivities

Festivals frequently bring extended families together. While this can strengthen relationships, it can also reactivate longstanding interpersonal dynamics. Questions about marriage, children, career, finances, appearance or personal choices can become uncomfortable, particularly when they touch existing vulnerabilities.

For someone who has experienced criticism or comparison within the family, a seemingly casual festive comment may carry considerably more emotional weight because of the history attached to it. The festive setting can therefore bring individuals into closer contact with relationships or unresolved issues that they may otherwise have greater distance from.

Also read: Excessive Screen Time & Mental Health: Expert Urges Parents To Limit Children's Screen Time At Times Health Summit 2026

Why Clinical Populations May Be More Vulnerable

For individuals already living with a mental health condition, the festive season can introduce several stressors simultaneously. Travel, disrupted sleep, irregular meals, increased social stimulation, financial pressure, family conflict and interruptions to established treatment routines can place additional demands on psychological functioning.

People with conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, trauma-related conditions, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, eating disorders or other psychiatric difficulties may be more sensitive to these changes.

In individuals with a history of recurrent episodes, significant disruption may also contribute to relapse. Festivals themselves do not necessarily cause relapse. Rather, the accumulation of environmental, interpersonal and behavioural stressors can increase vulnerability in someone already at risk.

Changes from an individual's usual baseline such as significant alterations in sleep, appetite, mood, anxiety, irritability, impulsivity, social withdrawal or functioning can therefore be important early warning signs.

Grief Can Become More Visible

Many traditions are built around shared experiences: preparing food, decorating homes, travelling to family members, exchanging gifts or gathering for meals. When someone important is no longer present, familiar rituals can make their absence more noticeable.

This can occur during religious festivals as well as occasions such as Independence Day or New Year, when people naturally reflect on their lives and relationships. Participating in a celebration does not mean grief has disappeared, just as sadness during a celebration does not eliminate the capacity for joy.

The festive season can also place pressure on household finances. Clothing, gifts, travel, home decoration and social events can increase expenditure over several months. For those already experiencing financial uncertainty, this can create considerable stress.

People living alone, those estranged from family, individuals experiencing relationship difficulties, older adults and people who have recently relocated may become more conscious of social isolation during this period. New Year can be particularly challenging because social expectations around parties, relationships and celebration become highly visible.

Also read: Can Mental Health Improvement Help Lower High Blood Pressure? Study Points Towards 3 Habits

Indians Living Abroad: Culture, Belonging and Homesickness

Celebrating Diwali, Eid, Navratri, Onam, Christmas or Gurpurab away from India can provide an important connection with cultural identity and family traditions. At the same time, it can highlight physical distance from parents, siblings and extended family.

A person may attend a community celebration abroad while still missing the food, sounds, neighbourhood atmosphere and family rituals associated with celebrations in India. Those unable to travel home may experience increased homesickness, particularly when several major occasions occur within a short period.

Festivals Can Be Difficult For General Population Too

Feeling tired, overwhelmed, irritated, lonely or emotionally sensitive during a demanding period does not automatically indicate a psychiatric disorder.

Even psychologically healthy individuals can experience festive stress because of travel, social obligations, financial commitments or difficult family interactions.

Making The Festive Season Psychologically Sustainable

• Set boundaries around intrusive questions: “I’d rather not discuss that today” or “We’re comfortable with where things are right now” can end conversations about marriage, children or finances without confrontation.
• Decline invitations without over-explaining.
• A smaller number of meaningful gatherings may be preferable to trying to attend every event.
• Decide spending limits for gifts, travel and celebrations in advance rather than responding to social pressure.

For those receiving mental health care, prescribed medication, therapy and established support systems should not be casually disrupted during the festive period.

Curated festive content represents selected moments, not the entirety of another person's life.

Professional support becomes particularly important when festive stress is accompanied by persistent hopelessness, severe anxiety, substantial social withdrawal, changes in sleep or appetite, increased substance use, impaired functioning or other marked behavioural changes.

The goal is not to remove complexity from celebration, but to make space for it. Allowing people to experience the festive season without the pressure to feel festive can itself be an important form of psychological care.

By Ms Dhara Ghuntla, Psychologist/Psychotherapist, Sujay Hospital, 7 Hills Hospital & Criticare Hospital

As Delhi wakes up to another spell of deteriorating air quality just days ahead of Diwali, ophthalmologists warn that dust, smoke, particulate matter, and toxic gases can affect children's eyes, triggering redness, itching, burning, excessive watering, and dryness.

On Tuesday, India's national capital's average Air Quality Index (AQI) climbed to 331 at 7 am, entering the ‘very poor’ category. At the same time, eight monitoring stations recorded readings above 400, falling in the ‘severe’ zone, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

As per data from the CPCB, 33 of the city's 58 monitoring stations recorded AQI levels in the ‘very poor’ category. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology have forecast that air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category over the coming days.

“Children’s eyes are more sensitive to irritants in the environment, and exposure to pollutants, particulate matter and toxic gases can irritate the surface of the eye,” Dr Shibal Bhartiya, Clinical Director – Ophthalmology and Program Director – Community Outreach and Wellness at Marengo Asia International Institute of Neuro and Spine (MAIINS), told HealthandMe.

Also read: Supreme Court Allows Green Crackers In Delhi-NCR Ahead Of Diwali: Are They Really Safe For Your Health?

How Does Air Pollution Affect Children's Eyes?

The experts warned that exposure to pollutants and particulate matter can irritate the surface of children's eyes, causing redness, itching, burning, excessive tearing and dryness.

Dr Neepa Thacker Dave, Senior Consultant in Paediatric Ophthalmology at SRCC Children's Hospital, told HealthandMe that the eye’s surface is protected by a delicate tear film that provides lubrication, maintains clear vision and helps defend against environmental irritants. Exposure to airborne pollutants can disturb this protective layer and contribute to ocular surface irritation and inflammation.

"Excessive watering does not necessarily mean that the eyes are adequately lubricated. Irritation can trigger reflex tearing even when the tear film is unstable. Consequently, children may experience watering alongside dryness or discomfort," she said.

Further, children with existing allergies or sensitive eyes may notice their symptoms worsening during periods of high pollution.

“Long-term exposure to poor air quality may also worsen pre-existing ocular surface conditions,” Dr Bhartiya said.

How Can Parents Protect Children's Eyes From Air Pollution?

Read More: Rising AQI In Delhi-NCR: Doctors Warn Of Lung And Heart Risks As Pollution Builds

Reducing children's exposure to pollution is important, particularly on days when air quality is poor.

Dr Bhartiya advised parents to:

• Avoid outdoor activities when pollution levels are high.
• Keep windows closed during periods of severe pollution.
• Encourage children to avoid rubbing their eyes.
• Ensure children wash their faces after coming indoors.

Dr Dave also highlighted the importance of greater awareness, reduced exposure and timely medical care in protecting children from pollution-related eye irritation and discomfort.

When Should Children See an Eye Specialist?

Dr Dave said children may not always have the vocabulary to describe eye discomfort. Parents and teachers should watch for frequent eye rubbing, excessive blinking, squinting, watering or reluctance to participate in reading and outdoor activities.

Parents should not dismiss eye irritation in children, particularly when pollution levels are high.

Although mild irritation may improve when exposure is reduced, recurring or persistent symptoms warrant an eye examination. Eye pain, significant sensitivity to light, blurred or reduced vision, marked redness or difficulty opening the eye require prompt medical attention.