The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: July twelfth, asking, fight or flight? Which reaction's right?

Travel stress or road rage, the accumulation of little nerve-racking incidents that are an inevitable part of travel can eventually take its toll on your mental and physical health.

Psychologists call the body's instinctive physical reaction to stress a "fight or flight mechanism." Basically, as anxiety levels rise, your body instinctively prepares for a physical struggle: your muscles tighten, your eyesight and hearing become more acute, your heart rate speeds up, your blood pressure rises.

The best way to deal with the stress and tension produced by these travel irritations is to find ways to reduce their effect on you. For example, when confronted with an obstinate desk clerk, try to understand that person's point of view before you go ballistic. The price you pay in elevated blood pressure may not be worth the trouble.

Never be bashful about expressing legitimate complaints, but understand that getting furious and shouting may not produce the results you want. The sooner the problem is resolved, the less wear and tear your psyche will suffer. Remember, an obstinate individual or annoying situation may be the source of the stress, but it's your reaction that does the damage to your body.

The same goes for travel delays, disappointing weather, and all those other annoyances that are so often a part of travel.

In the final analysis, try to relax. Foregoing the fight is a big part of enjoying the flight. Sometimes, counting to ten can make a big difference.

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