Stress is different for everyone. I like snakes (even though all Tasmanian snakes are poisonous) and actually had a pet one once when I nursed in New Guinea, but I am very aware that many people would rather be boiled alive than go anywhere near a snake. Big spiders though stress me to distraction. We are all different.
Nasty encounters with snakes, spiders, rats and other scary critters produce acute stress (which demands a flight or fight response) but ongoing fear of encountering them can contribute to chronic stress. In our modern lives we struggle with a great deal of stress.
Deep Breathing, Relaxation and Meditation Provide Significant Relief From Stress
Deep breathing -expand the diaphram area as you breathe in (not the chest) and then breathe out through pursed lips, slowly, as if blowing out thirty candles on a cake . Breathe in, I am calm. Breathe out, releasing stress. Don’t hold your belly in, let it hang loose, because a tight belly increases stress. Relax the shoulders down away from neck Drop the jaw (it clenches with stress). Soften your lips and part them slightly.