Your Body Has a Budget. Overdrafting Makes You Sick.

A new way to think about stress and health

Credit: Pixologicstudio/Getty Images

You’ve probably been taught that the human body is like a thermostat: It measures whether something is above or below a certain set point, and if so, will employ some tactic to return it to its set point. For example, if it’s too hot, the body sweats to cool off — too cold, and the body will shiver to…