Our breathing gets shallow, our heart rate goes up, we might sweat and have cold extremities at the same time. Adrenaline and other brain chemicals start to flow.  This is because our bodies were built, just like all other animals, to respond to threat. We are getting ready for action.  For example, without stress, how would we have the energy to run, fight or play dead in response to seeing a tiger?  The problem is that at the present time, our threats are numerous and more vague. We respond to some financial bad news with stress, and we may not know what to do about it.  We perceive abandonment by our loved one and we are not sure how to respond.  Our boss or colleague says something to make us feel threatened and angry, and we cannot respond with fighting or fleeing.  So stress gets stuck in our body as an incomplete response.  When enough incomplete stress accumulates in our bodies our brain and nervous system will begin to interpret that as a routine stress pattern.  Somatic Experiencing strategies help the person develop an inner sense of safety to help life's ups and downs, and to help better manage high stress states.