critical thinking describe an example of a fight or flight situation

Fight or Flight Response (Psychology) – 15 Examples

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

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Chris Drew (PhD)

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The fight or flight response is a rapid and intense physiological reaction to immediate and sudden danger. It is activated in situations in which a person encounters a life-threatening or highly stressful situation.

Fight or flight is a highly adaptive survival mechanism that is biologically ingrained in every human being as well as animals (meaning it is an unconditioned response ).

Examples of flight or fight include the immediate response to seeing a snake while hiking, being startled down a dark alley, or being caught by a police radar while speeding in your car.

Fight or Flight Definition

Once a person encounters impending danger, a cascade of hormonal and electrochemical reactions take place that prepare the body to either fight or flee.

Physiologist Walter Cannon was the first to describe the fight-or-flight response in 1915.

Cannon explains that:

“…the visceral changes in fear and rage should not be different, but rather, why they should be alike… just because the conditions which evoke them are likely to result in flight or conflict…the bodily needs in either response are precisely the same” (p. 277).

Modern understanding of this response acknowledges that the organism may also freeze in position, or even faint. This new perspective has led to the term “fight, flight, or freeze” (Donahue, 2020) or “acute stress response.”

Explanation of Fight or Flight Response

The physiological response to the stressor begins with the detection of danger. Amazingly, this detection can happen faster than the conscious awareness of the impending threat.

For example, if walking through the forest and encountering a snake, that image is sent via the optic nerve to the amygdala located in the limbic system.

The amygdala immediately sends electrical impulses via the spinal cord to various muscles that create the startle response, such as jumping away.

In a second pathway, the amygdala triggers the hypothalamus, which triggers the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormones (ACTH).

ACTH flows through the blood stream to impact the adrenal glands that sit atop the kidneys and activates the release of cortisol. Cortisol increases blood pressure, blood sugar and turns fatty acids into available energy.

The adrenal glands also release adrenaline, which stimulates the release of glucose (for energy), in addition to increasing heart and respiratory rate.

These various mechanisms fill the muscles with blood and supply the body with much-needed oxygen and energy. All of which are required to either fight or flee.

Fight or Flight Response Examples

• Getting Fired: The fight-or-flight response can be activated when having an unexpected meeting with your boss and hearing the words “we have to let you go.”
• Dreadful Mail: When you open mail that tells you you’re being audited for your taxes, you’ll likely feel that spike in adrenalin where your body is preparing you for fight or flight.
• Caught in the Act: If you’re caught by a store security guard trying to take something without paying for it, your instant reaction of spiked adrenaline is telling you to either fight or run!
• Social Shaming: Often, if a person is confronted about their shameful actions, they will enter a fight or flight mode which may lead them to ‘fight’ – which tends to take the form of defending their actions in an attempt to save face.
• Speeding Ticket: When a police car suddenly turns up on your rear bumper with its sirens blaring, you’ll feel that fight-or-flight spike in your chest.
• A Snake on the Hike: Jenny was taking a walk through the forest when she noticed a snake dangling from a tree branch near her head. She instinctively jumped backwards and screamed.     
• Seeing Danger down an Alley: Bill was going home late at night when suddenly two large men appeared with knives. He instantly froze and stood motionless for what seemed like a very long time.   
• A Near Miss on your Bike: Sumni was riding her bicycle when a car ran through a stop sign and nearly hit her. Her body immediately convulsed and caused her to fall from the bike.
• Dog and Cat Encounter: Donald’s cat was rounding the corner at the same time as his dog. The cat instantly hunched it’s back, raised its tail, and began to hiss.  
• Being Surprised: When Ada opened her front door, all of her friends shouted “Happy Birthday!” It was a huge surprise and scared the daylights out of her. She immediately jumped backwards with her arms spread and palms facing outward.  
• When a Door Opens in your Face: While walking past a bakery, the door suddenly flings open, startling Jamal and causing him to drop everything he is holding.    
• Haunted Houses on Halloween: Going to a haunted house during Halloween is like asking for a repeated activation of your fight-or-flight response.   
• Immediate Response to Heartache: Checking your partner’s phone and discovering secret text messages to their ex can also activate the fight-or-flight response.
• Horror Movies: Adam loves horror movies. Even though he knows something startling and frightening is going to happen, again and again, he still nearly jumps out of his seat every time.
• Video Games: Often video games attempt to simulate fight or flight by setting up scenarios where you have to act quickly to defend your video game character or else you lose the level.

Case Studies and Research Basis

1. the general adaptation syndrome.

Dr. Hans Selye formulated the general adaptation syndrome (GAS) to describe the stages of the stress response. The GAS is an extension of the fight-or-flight response and includes components that enhance our understanding of how the body reacts to stressful events.

There are three stages of the GAS, as demonstrated in the image below.

• Alarm Stage: This is the body’s first reaction to a stressor (i.e., the fight-or-flight response). At this stage the body has prepared itself for action.
• Resistance Stage: This stage involves the body trying to counteract the initial shock of the alarm stage. If the danger or stressor is no longer present, then the body attempts to relax. The heart and respiratory rates return to baseline.
• Exhaustion Stage: If the body is unable to return to baseline, it can produce several detrimental effects. It can result in physical fatigue or psychological burnout. The person’s mental and physical resources become drained. Selye referred to this as exhaustion.

2. Chronic Stress and Heart Disease

The physiological changes activated by the fight-or-flight response have been highly adaptive for thousands of years. In modern times, there is less need for this response. However, modern life is full of minor stressors, or symbolic threats, that activate a mild expression of the fight-or-flight response. 

Health researchers have linked stressful life events in modern life with health outcomes such as heart disease for decades (Levine, 2022).

More specifically, stressful life events, ranging from major catastrophes (e.g., earthquakes) to high-pressure job demands, have been linked to myocardial infarction (MI) and atherosclerosis (e.g., hardening of the arteries). 

For example, Möller et al. (2005) examined stressful occupations and the incidence of MI. The researchers state that in their study they found:

“…that life events experienced in working life, and characterized by high demands, competition, or conflict, are potential triggers of the onset of myocardial infarction” (p. 27).

The chemical reactions activated by the fight-or-flight response also increase cholesterol levels and reduce the elasticity of the coronary walls over time.

In addition to other factors such as lifestyle and personality characteristics , the impact of stress on health can be substantial.

3. The Cat and the Cucumber

The first pathway of the fight-or-flight response happens before conscious awareness. The nerves in the eyes have a direct connection to the amygdala in the limbic system.

There are certain images that have been programmed into the amygdala to activate an immediate reaction.

Apparently, for cats, one of those images is of a snake. This means that visual stimuli that are similar to a snake, such as a cucumber, can also activate the fight-or-flight response.

In this video , and about a hundred others, cats can be seen having dramatic flight response when encountering a cucumber. Since the vegetable is similar in shape and size to a snake, the cat’s reaction is understandable.

The reaction takes place well in advance of the cat being able to consciously process the visual image to determine that it is not a snake.

From an evolutionary perspective, this is very beneficial. In the wild, by the time a cat was able to cognitively process the stimulus, it would be too late if it were an actual snake.

4. The Scary Snowman Prank

By now, just about everyone on the planet has seen a video of The Scary Snowman prank . As passers-by casually stroll along a sidewalk, a large stationary snowman jumps forward. This creates a variety of reactions, sometimes humorous.

Generally, most people have a reasonable response, however, some get a bit upset and a few choice words may be uttered. One person actually kicks the snowman, while one elderly gentleman looks like he might have a cardiac arrest.

Some people literally jump, sometimes up, sometimes backwards, and sometimes straight to the ground. And a lot of people let out a loud scream as well.

All joking aside, these physical reactions are good examples of the fight-or-flight response in action. You can see how instantaneously those reactions occur. The human body really is amazing.

Ways to Combat Acute Stress

Given how serious life stressors can become, it may be useful to identify strategies that an individual can take to help combat those detrimental effects.

Luckily, there are numerous things a person can do to reduce the impact of stress. These include:

• Perspective Taking: The way we interpret events can affect the stress response. Looking at things that happen in daily life from a more optimistic perspective can prevent the fight-or-flight response from being activated.
• Deep Breathing: When encountering a stressor, it can be helpful to make your body relax by breathing deeply. Taking several long and slow breaths helps prevent the stress response from initiating.
• Sleep: Getting a good night’s sleep is physiologically beneficial in many ways. But it is also beneficial because it puts us in a good mood. So when we do encounter stressors, we may have a better reaction and feel more resilient.
• Social Support: Having a circle of friends that are positive and supportive can help a person better cope with stressful life events. That can include just listening, making helpful suggestions, or offering some assistance.

The fight-or-flight-or freeze response refers to the sudden activation of several physiological chain reactions when encountering danger. The danger can be very real and life-threatening, or in the form of a symbolic threat as found in modern life.

The physiological reaction prepares the body for physical action, either running or engaging in a physical altercation. In other cases, it may cause the body to temporarily freeze and become motionless.

Although highly adaptive for most of human history, the problem now is that modern life is full of minor activations of the stress response. Over a long period of time, that can lead to physical illness such as a heart attack, or psychological issues such as mental fatigue and burnout.

Fortunately, people can integrate various strategies in their life to counteract these detrimental consequences.

Developing a more optimistic interpretation of events, exercising and sleeping well, and building a supportive circle of significant others can all help mitigate the stress response.

Cannon, W. B. (1915). Bodily changes in pain, hunger, fear and rage: An account of recent researches into the function of emotional excitement. D Appleton & Company. https://doi.org/10.1037/10013-000

Donahue, J.J. (2020). Fight-Flight-Freeze System. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T.K. (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_751

Larzelere, M. M., & Jones, G. N. (2008). Stress and health. Primary Care , 35 (4), 839–856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2008.07.011

Levine, G. N. (2022). Psychological Stress and Heart Disease: Fact or Folklore? The American Journal of Medicine , 135 (6), 688-696.

Möller, J., Theorell, T., De Faire, U., Ahlbom, A., & Hallqvist, J. (2005). Work related stressful life events and the risk of myocardial infarction. Case-control and case-crossover analyses within the Stockholm heart epidemiology programme (SHEEP). Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health , 59 (1), 23-30.

Perciavalle, V., Blandini, M., Fecarotta, P., Buscemi, A., Di Corrado, D., Bertolo, L., Fichera, F. & Coco, M. (2017). The role of deep breathing on stress . Neurological Sciences, 38 (3), 451-458.

Salmon, P. (2001). Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress: a unifying theory . Clinical Psychology Review, 21 (1), 33-61.

Selye, H. (1950). Stress and the general adaptation syndrome. British Medical Journal , 1 (4667), 1383–1392. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.4667.1383

Thoits, P. A. (2010). Stress and health: Major findings and policy implications. Journal of Health and Social Behavior , 51 (1_suppl), S41-S53.

• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 23 Achieved Status Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Defense Mechanisms Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 15 Theory of Planned Behavior Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 18 Adaptive Behavior Examples

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 23 Achieved Status Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Ableism Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 25 Defense Mechanisms Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Theory of Planned Behavior Examples

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The Fight-or-Flight Response: Everything You Need to Know

It served us well for most of that time, readying us for attack and helping us escape when we encountered something dangerous (Schoen, 2014).

Now, in the largely ‘safe’ yet unduly stimulating world in which most of us live, our overly reactive survival instinct can lead to inappropriate, unwanted, and prolonged stress responses that ultimately harm our physical and mental wellbeing.

The tools and worksheets in this article help us manage and regain control over our fight-or-flight response and instead use it more positively and productively.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Stress & Burnout Prevention Exercises (PDF) for free . These science-based exercises will equip you and your clients with tools to better manage stress and find a healthier balance in your life.

This Article Contains:

What is the fight, flight, or freeze response, 4 psychology examples of the response, understanding its role in anxiety and stress, how to manage the response, 6 worksheets, handouts, and meditation ideas, 3 books about the fight-or-flight theory, resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

Our need to survive has shaped how we respond to the environment and the threats we face. Our fight , flight , and freeze responses help us to face up to perceived threats, run away, or stop moving. The freeze response “involves being rendered immobile when confronted with a potential threat” with fight and flight on hold (McCabe & Milosevic, 2015, p. 180).

For much of our 21st-century life, fight and flight responses are becoming less helpful, albeit still common. According to Harvard Health Publishing (2020), chronic activation of this survival mechanism is commonplace and damaging to our physical and mental wellness.

Science has long known that long-term chronic stress – the repeated activation of the stress response – takes a profound toll on psychological and physical health, both directly and indirectly, with some of the following results (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020; Khazan, 2019):

• High blood pressure
• Formation of artery-clogging deposits
• Overbreathing (breathing out too much carbon dioxide)

Parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems

Here’s an example: when we realize we have stepped in front of an oncoming car, information from our eyes and ears arrives at the amygdala, where images and sounds are processed. The amygdala also contributes to emotional processing, sending distress signals to the hypothalamus.

From here, messages are sent to the rest of the body through the autonomic nervous system, made up of the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems, and we respond by choosing to fight, run, or freeze (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020).

The sympathetic nervous system provides the body with the burst of energy needed to take action in response to the perceived threat. On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in when the danger has passed, calming the body when it’s safe to do so.

10+ Symptoms of the response

When the hypothalamus sends its distress signal through the autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands, the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline) is pumped into the bloodstream, resulting in the following (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020; Nunez, 2020):

• Heartbeat speeds up, pushing more blood and oxygen to the muscles and other vital organs. During a freeze response, heart rate may slow.
• Pulse and blood pressure increase.
• Breathing speeds up to get more oxygen into the blood. During a freeze response, breathing may be interrupted or restricted.
• Small airways in the lungs open wide.
• Increased oxygen to the brain leads to increased alertness and sharpened senses.
• Pupils may dilate to let in additional light, and hearing improves.
• More blood sugar (glucose) and fats are released into the bloodstream to supply extra energy.
• Ongoing perception of threat leads to further release of adrenaline and cortisol.
• Skin may get cold or sweat, as can hands and feet.
• Pain perception may reduce.

Once the perceived threat is over, the parasympathetic system begins to dampen the stress response.

This fear results from conditioning, when an event or object has been associated with a negative experience.

When you encounter a perceived threat, your brain thinks you are in danger and attempts to keep you safe through a fight-flight-freeze response. Sometimes, it is lifesaving; other times, it is incorrect or a poor match for the situation, for example:

• Hearing a loud noise in the middle of the night
• Jumping out of the way of a speeding vehicle
• Feeling scared when walking down a dark alley
• Being asked to give an impromptu speech

Some of these responses are overactive. A non-threatening situation triggering a fight, flight, or freeze reaction can result from previous trauma or existing anxiety (Nunez, 2020).

The following psychological threat examples may not result from the object or event itself (e.g., public speaking, social situations, or spiders) but from being afraid of the experience of anxiety associated with it (McCabe & Milosevic, 2015):

• Panic attacks Panic attacks can be part of the fear response in anxiety disorders and are sometimes associated with anxiety over losing control, dying, or “going crazy.” They can occur in threat-free situations.
• Anxiety sensitivity The fear of fear can result from the belief that the sensations (e.g., racing heart, rapid breathing, and sweating) signal imminent physical, psychological, and social harm.
• Agliophobia Agliophobia is the fear of pain or suffering in the short or long term. This condition can lead to extreme reactions, such as escaping or avoiding situations with even the slightest chance of injury. It is less about the pain itself and more about its anticipation (for example, a fear of needles).
• Social anxiety disorder This involves the fear of being judged or evaluated in social or performance situations, such as during interviews or when presenting. The anxiety or avoidance behavior associated with this fear can significantly impair quality of life.

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Ideally, the fight-or-flight response would only occur when necessary or helpful. The sympathetic nervous system stimulates the body’s action, and then the parasympathetic nervous system returns the body to rest (Sperber, n.d.).

When there is a repeated and prolonged sense of danger, individuals experience it as ongoing stress and risk developing chronic anxiety, mood disorders, depression , immune system suppression, and difficulty sleeping, all of which can further aggravate an already overly sensitive and dysregulated fight-or-flight system (Gillespie, Phifer, Bradley, & Ressler, 2009; McCabe & Milosevic, 2015).

There are many practical things we can do, including the following (Schoen, 2014; Khazan, 2019; Sperber, n.d.; Nunez, 2020):

Relaxation techniques

Engage the parasympathetic nervous system and use relaxation techniques to counteract the stress response. For example:

• Learning breathing skills can stimulate the vagus nerve and the sympathetic nervous system, reducing stress and encouraging calm (Nestor, 2020).
• Use mindfulness and meditation techniques to help focus on the now, relieve existing feelings of panic and stress, and take that feeling of peace into the day.
• Visualization is a powerful tool for expressing how we feel, achieving calm, and working through situations that cause emotional discomfort.

Physical activity

Regular exercise is a powerful tool for resetting our stress response by:

• Reducing stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol
• Increasing endorphins that promote a state of calm
• Improving sleep , essential for keeping both body and mind in balance

Social support

Positive relationships promote individual wellbeing and better stress management .

• Social support groups can be a valuable way to share emotions, feelings, and coping mechanisms.
• Taking time out with friends to talk about the issues we face can reduce our overall stress and reactivity levels.

There are many ways to cope with stress and manage our survival response. The best strategies and techniques are the ones that fit our lifestyle, suit our personality, and provide us with confidence that we can manage an existing or future situation.

The fight flight freeze response – Braive

The following tools are some of our favorites for managing the fight-or-flight response and the stress, anxiety, and panic that can follow. Try them out and feel free to personalize them to your own needs (modified from Schoen, 2014; Khazan, 2019; Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

Responding With Fear and Worry

While our responses can seem automatic and outside our control, it is valuable to revisit and reflect on them to understand if they are helpful and appropriate. Fight and flight responses developed to answer a need and still, at times, remain crucial for survival.

The Responding With Fear and Worry worksheet explores a time when you or someone close to you experienced real danger, then asks you to consider whether or not your response was helpful. Recognizing that, at times, a rash, automatic response may be the right one helps us reduce our fear of being unable to handle situations.

Signs of Emotional Discomfort

When stressed and agitated, we may be more likely to react quickly and without thinking things through. However, the chronic discomfort that often preempts rash thinking rarely appears out of the blue. With practice, we can see it coming (Schoen, 2014).

Use the Signs of Emotional Discomfort worksheet to spot the signals that suggest we are becoming more agitated and responding poorly to life events (modified from Schoen, 2014).

Breaking Out of the Comfort Zone

While it may seem that remaining in our comfort zone will protect us from discomfort, there is a risk that its perimeters will start to shrink. Rather than residing in our area of familiarity, it is important to create a degree of discomfort (Schoen, 2014).

Use the Breaking Out of the Comfort Zone worksheet to identify opportunities to challenge our comfort zone.

At a micro-level, simply reading a book, listening to music, or going to a play that challenges you can break you out of your comfort zone and make you more ready to deal with the unfamiliar or unexpected.

World’s Largest Positive Psychology Resource

The Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a groundbreaking practitioner resource containing over 500 science-based exercises , activities, interventions, questionnaires, and assessments created by experts using the latest positive psychology research.

Updated monthly. 100% Science-based.

“The best positive psychology resource out there!” — Emiliya Zhivotovskaya , Flourishing Center CEO

Funeral Meditation

The way we react to life events may hold us back, causing us to avoid the opportunities we have and not take the chances that arise.

The Funeral Meditation worksheet is less morbid than it would first seem. Rather than boosting anxiety regarding our limited time on this planet, this powerful meditation helps us reflect on what matters to us.

The good news is you still have time to change who you are. “You can start living the way you want to be remembered later on” (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016, p. 115).

Finding Fresh Alternatives

Even though the impulse to act may be an automatic response, the action is not inevitable. The gap between impulse and action gives you time to determine how you would like to respond.

The Finding Fresh Alternatives worksheet identifies events and situations where your impulse to act on your worries, anxieties, and fears was strong, then asks you to reflect on how you responded.

You have control over how you react to your impulses and how you behave, no matter how strong they are.

Stop Right Now

Automatic responses can be unhelpful. Unless we are in a dangerous situation, fighting or fleeing may not be the best way to react. It can be valuable to have a set of questions nearby to challenge what we are about to do.

Use the Stop Right Now worksheet to stop before you react and consider whether you should act on your intention.

In time and with practice, these questions can be internalized and become automatic. They can help you notice, experience, and learn rather than unthinkingly react.

The following books explore the fight-or-flight response and related issues such as anxiety, fear, stress, and how to handle them.

1. Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life: Practical Solutions for Improving Your Health and Performance  – Inna Khazan

This is a valuable and practical book with many techniques for applying the mind–body approach to an array of common problems.

Find the book on Amazon .

2. Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You: Retrain Your Brain to Conquer Fear and Build Resilience – Marc Schoen

Marc Schoen shares how the many mild discomforts in our otherwise comfortable 21st-century life can still trigger ancient fight-or-flight responses.

There are ways to regain control and tame your overly reactive survival instinct and improve every aspect of your life.

3. The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free From Anxiety, Phobias and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – John Forsyth and Georg Eifert

The authors have created a valuable resource for anyone struggling with anxiety and fear through nurturing the capacity for acceptance, kindness, and compassion.

The fight-or-flight response is closely aligned with how we react to stressful events and situations.

Why not download our free stress tool pack and try out the powerful tools contained within? Here are some examples:

• Energy Management Audit This worksheet offers insights into the client’s energy strengths and deficits and is valuable for balancing the many competing demands they face.
• Stress-Related Growth Scale This is a helpful questionnaire for understanding an individual’s perceived positive outcomes of a stressful or traumatic event.

Other free resources include:

• Squeeze and Release This valuable group activity encourages participants to experience stress in a positive form, helping them discover its potential for energizing and coping.
• Radical Acceptance of a Distressing Situation These 11 questions help the client look at distressing situations in an alternative, more positive way.

More extensive versions of the following tools are available with a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit© , but they are described briefly below:

• Stress Management Emergency Plan

This framework identifies four different types of stressors and connects them to client-generated coping skills:

• Time stress – lack of time to complete what is required to the standard expected.
• Anticipatory stress – related to events that are yet to occur.
• Situational stress – when you face a situation over which you have no control.
• Encounter stress – brought on by other, often challenging, people.

Use the tool to create a stress management emergency plan and identify triggers and coping skills.

• The Yes-Brain Versus the No-Brain

A yes-brain mindset can cultivate psychological wellbeing.

This experiential exercise illustrates the difference between the two mindsets by examining our reactions when we say the words “yes” and “no.”

• ‘No’ – Notice the feelings that arise
• ‘Yes’ – Identify what arises in the body when you change your response.

The user then reflects on how the two answers made them feel before exploring the different mindsets and how a ‘yes’ brain can lead to greater balance, resilience, insight, and empathy.

17 Stress & Burnout Prevention Tools If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others manage stress without spending hours on research and session prep, check out this collection of 17 validated stress management tools for practitioners . Use them to help others identify signs of burnout and create more balance in their lives.

17 Exercises To Reduce Stress & Burnout

Help your clients prevent burnout, handle stressors, and achieve a healthy, sustainable work-life balance with these 17 Stress & Burnout Prevention Exercises [PDF].

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

We have many built-in and fast-reacting mechanisms within the brain. They have kept us safe for thousands of generations. While they still have great value sometimes , they can also cause us considerable mental and physical harm when operating inappropriately.

Our fight, flight, and freeze responses can leave us chronically activated, resulting in mental and physical ailments, such as high blood pressure, poor sleep, weight gain, anxiety, depression, and mood disorders.

Reducing background levels of activation through improved breathing and mindfulness techniques and maintaining good physical health are valuable. Revisiting situations when our survival response was either valid and helpful or inappropriate and harmful can help us recognize its value and need to be managed.

This article introduces the psychological and physiological factors involved in the fight-or-flight response and offers techniques to manage, avoid, and regain control of the situation. We must recognize that aspects of how we react to the environment offer insight into our evolutionary past while allowing for better handling of our present.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Stress & Burnout Prevention Exercises (PDF) for free .

• Forsyth, J. P., & Eifert, G. H. (2016). The mindfulness & acceptance workbook for anxiety: A guide to breaking free from anxiety, phobias & worry using acceptance & commitment therapy . New Harbinger Publications.
• Gillespie, C. F., Phifer, J., Bradley, B., & Ressler, K. J. (2009). Risk and resilience: Genetic and environmental influences on development of the stress response. Depression and Anxiety , 26 (11), 984–992.
• Harvard Health Publishing. (2020). Understanding the stress response . Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response
• Khazan, I. Z. (2019). Biofeedback and mindfulness in everyday life: Practical solutions for improving your health and performance . W.W. Norton & Company.
• McCabe, R., & Milosevic, I. (2015). Phobias: The psychology of irrational fear . ABC-CLIO.
• Nestor, J. (2020).  Breath: The new science of a lost art . Penguin Books.
• Nunez, K. (2020). Fight, flight, or freeze: How we respond to threats . Healthline. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/fight-flight-freeze#overactive-response
• Schoen, M. (2014). Your survival instinct is killing you: Retrain your brain to conquer fear and build resilience . Plume.
• Sperber, S. (n.d.). Fight or flight response: Definition, symptoms, and examples . Berkeley Well-Being Institute. Retrieved November 23, 2021, from https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/fight-or-flight.html

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Autonomic Nervous System

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Introduction & Theoretical Background

The fight or flight reaction is associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system . The chain reaction brought about by the fight or flight response can result in the following physical effects:

• Heart: Increased heart rate; Dilation of coronary blood vessels; Increase in blood flow Increased availability of oxygen and energy to the heart.
• Circulation: Dilation of blood vessels serving muscles; Constriction of blood vessels serving digestion; Increased availability of oxygen to skeletal muscles; Blood shunted to skeletal muscles and brain.
• Lungs: Dilation of bronchi; Increased respiration rate; Increased availability of oxygen in blood.
• Liver: Increased conversion of glycogen to glucose; Increased availability of glucose in skeletal muscle and brain cells.
• Skin: Skin becomes pale or flushed as blood flow is reduced; Increased blood flow to muscles and away from non-essential parts of the body such as the periphery.
• Eyes: Dilation of the pupils; Allows in more light

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References And Further Reading

• Cannon, W. B. (1915). Bodily changes in pain, hunger, fear, and rage . New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
• Schauer, M., & Elbert, T. (2010). Dissociation following traumatic stress. Journal of Psychology , 218, 109-127.
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Biopsychology: The ‘Fight or Flight’ Response Explained

Last updated 22 Mar 2021

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When someone enters a potentially stressful situation, the amygdala (part of the limbic system) is activated. The amygdala responds to sensory input (what we see, hear, smell, etc.) and connects sensory input with emotions associated with the fight or flight response (e.g. fear and anger).

If the situation is deemed as stressful/dangerous, the amygdala sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus , which communicates with the body through the sympathetic nervous system . If the situation requires a short-term response the sympathomedullary pathway (SAM pathway) is activated, triggering the fight or flight response.

Following the fight or flight response, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated to return the body back to its ‘normal’ resting state. Consequently, the parasympathetic nervous system slows down our heart rate and breathing rate and reduces our blood pressure. Furthermore, any functions that were previously slowed down are started again (e.g. digestion).

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Your Brain on Survival: The Physiological Response to a Life-Threatening Situation

By Brad Fitzpatrick

Posted on Apr 12, 2016 4:24 PM EDT

3 minute read

Psychologist John Leach, a specialist in human responses to emergency situations, developed his “10/80/10 rule of survival” after examining a variety of crises and human reactions to them. According to Leach, 10 percent of people facing an emergency control their fears and act rationally. Eighty percent find themselves stunned and relatively unprepared to respond. The last 10 percent, Leach concluded, become hysterical, unable to cope with the situation at hand. To ensure you land in that top 10 percent, you should first understand the physiological processes your brain and body undergo during an emergency.

THE SITUATION You’re hunting the backcountry and you’ve become separated from your party. A big storm is blowing in. Alone and lost, you realize you won’t make it back to camp before dark.

How Your Body Responds 1. The sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates the fight-flight-or-freeze response, takes control of the body. As a result, three key hormones are released into the bloodstream: adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol.

2. Adrenaline and norepinephrine prepare the body for battle. You receive a high-octane energy boost from increased glucose production and release. But this increase in glucose production burns valuable resources in the body.

3. Your heart rate increases and the lungs expand to take in more oxygen (a process known as bronchial dilation). Pupils dilate, narrowing your vision.

4. Blood is channeled away from the digestive system and the skin toward the major skeletal muscles for quick action and strength.

5. Cortisol is released more slowly than adrenaline and norepinephrine, and it helps sustain the fight-or-flight response over an extended period of time. The digestive and immune responses are slowed in anticipation of a fight.

6. Over time, the engaged sympathetic nervous system depletes the body’s energy reserves of glycogen and fat stores. If it goes on too long, you could experience a crash that leaves you feeling cold and tired. The more primitive portion of the brain, the limbic system, takes control from the more developed frontal lobe. Thoughts become less logical and more visceral. This can lead to impulsive and irrational behavior.

7. Over time, when panic subsides, frontal lobe activity increases and rational thought returns.

How to Survive

1. Utilize your frontal lobe “A common thread among survivors is the ability to prioritize and maintain focus on the task at hand,” says Kyle Allred, an experienced wilderness survival instructor. “Spend a few moments assessing your situation. Resist the temptation to act hastily. Instead, break down the larger task of survival into mini goals that can be performed one by one to help maintain focus.”

2. Gear up “Know which tools you have in your kit and know how to use them,” says Allred. The simple act of building a fire with your fire-starter can build confidence. If you think logically, use the tools in your pack, and find shelter, you’ll survive a night (and maybe longer) alone in the backcountry.

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How to Keep Your Cool in High-Stress Situations

• Robert E. Quinn,
• David P. Fessell,
• Stephen W. Porges

Fight and flight aren’t your only options.

When faced with a high-stress situation, one that even feels threatening, it can feel like we don’t have control over our response. Research has shown that our bodies can instinctively go into a “fight-or-flight” reaction. As a leader, the more effectively you can self-regulate these reactions the better you can lead and help others. Recent research in the field of neuroscience offers insights into this process of self-regulation and how you can move from the fight-or-flight response to a higher state of openness that invites collaboration, creativity, and thriving.

A CEO called one of us (Robert) for help. The company she was leading was on the cusp of a huge opportunity related to a new technology. But she was stymied and stuck.

• Robert E. Quinn is a professor emeritus at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and a cofounder of its Center for Positive Organizations.
• David P. Fessell is an executive coach, faculty associate at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and a retired University of Michigan professor of radiology. He writes and speaks on positive psychology and emotional intelligence and is a graduate of the Second City Improv Conservatory.
• SP Stephen W. Porges is a Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium and is professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina. He is the originator of the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that emphasizes the importance of physiological state in mental and physical health.

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Sympathetic Nervous System: Functions & Examples

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Karina Ascunce González

PhD Neuroscience Student, Yale University

Neuroscience B.A. (Hons), Harvard University

PhD Student at the Yale Biological & Biomedical Sciences' Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program interested in neurodegeneration, stem cell culture, and bioethics. AB in Neuroscience with a Secondary in Global Health & Health Policy from Harvard University. Karina has been published in peer reviewed journals.

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

On This Page:

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that regulates autonomic processes.

The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for stress-related activities and slows bodily processes that are less important in emergencies, such as digestion.

These processes are not under direct conscious control, occurring automatically and without conscious thought.

The sympathetic nervous system is typically recruited in situations requiring quick responses.

• Increase heart rate
• Dilation of the pupils
• Secretion of sweat glands
• Dilated muscles
• Increase alertness
• Slowing down or stopping digestion
• Relaxation of the bladder

The SNS can maintain homeostasis through sweating to cool down the body or regulate heart rate. In contrast to the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows down physiological processes, the SNS typically stimulates organs.

The parasympathetic branch, however, stimulates digestion and the urinary system when relaxed, whereas the SNS slows them down as these processes are not required during heightened stress.

The SNS also works alongside the parasympathetic nervous system to maintain homeostasis – the balance of internal physiological mechanisms essential for all living organisms.

Essentially, the parasympathetic branch is the antagonist of the SNS. Also, the neurons of the SNS have shorter pathways than those of the parasympathetic nervous system.

This shorter distance allows for a quicker signal transmission; sometimes the responses happen before a person is consciously aware of them.

What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

1. fight-or-flight response.

The primary function of the SNS is to activate the fight-or-flight response in threatening situations.

For instance, if you are walking alone down a dark street at night and a stranger approaches you, your body responds in a way that enables you to either fight or run away from the situation.

In this situation, the SNS would trigger responses such as causing the eyes to dilate and the heart to beat faster.

These autonomic responses to a threatening situation are, therefore, essential for survival. In evolutionary terms, the SNS would have been used to fight or escape predators and for hunting to eat and survive.

More modern-day stressors can also stimulate the SNS, such as financial pressures, stresses at work, or anything that can cause high anxiety for individuals.

When a stressful or anxiety-provoking situation arises, the amygdala (an area of the brain associated with fear and emotions) sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus (a command structure of the brain associated with maintaining homeostasis).

Impulses are then transmitted through the SNS to the adrenal glands, which then pump adrenaline, and then cortisol (stress hormone), into the bloodstream.

This will then bring about the physiological changes needed to be prepared to either fight or flight.

The reactions brought about by the SNS result in heightened awareness and preparation for combat or running.

Fundamentally, the fight-or-flight response is mediated via impulses transmitted throughout the SNS to the adrenal glands.

The adrenal glands facilitate both short-term responses to stress as well as long-term responses.

Once the threat has been resolved, the parasympathetic nervous system takes over and returns bodily functions to a relaxed state.

2. Regulating Body Temperature

For homeostasis to be achieved, the SNS can control the body temperature of organisms through the use of fat reserves in the body.

The SNS uses these reserves to increase heat production and change blood flow to the skin.

The SNS is also able to stimulate the sweat glands to enable the body to cool down, as well as being able to stimulate fatty acid release to instigate long-term responses to persistent periods of cold.

3. Cardiovascular Effects

The SNS can have effects on the cardiovascular system within the body.

This comes into play when exercising (when heart rate needs to increase), changing posture (e.g., sitting to standing), and transitioning from sleep to wakefulness.

These changes via the SNS are necessary, especially when changing positions; otherwise, this can cause dizziness and fainting.

Nerves of the SNS

The SNS consists of neurons found within the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system, which usually works in stimulating the body’s organs in response to fear or stress.

There are two types of neurons within the sympathetic nervous system: preganglionic and postganglionic neurons, or ganglion cells.

The word ‘ganglia’ refers to clusters of neurons outside the brain and spinal cord. Instead, they are part of the autonomic nervous system and run alongside the spinal cord.

The preganglionic neurons originate in the brain stem or spinal cord and will always leave the spinal cord through areas called the thoracic and lumbar regions.

The preganglionic neurons will then synapse with the postganglionic neurons at ganglia, which sit outside of the spinal cord.

The postganglionic neurons will then extend to target organs of the SNS (e.g., heart, sweat glands, and stomach) in order to trigger certain effects when activated.

Neurotransmitters within the SNS

Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers which are transmitted through neurons. The preganglionic neuron’s primary neurotransmitter is acetylcholine.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter found in both the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system and plays a role in brain and muscle function.

The preganglionic neurons within the thoracic and lumbar regions in the spinal cord carry acetylcholine, making them cholinergic, and release it at synapses within the ganglia.

Acetylcholine is then taken up by the receptors on the postganglionic neurons. Activation of this process results in signals being extended to target areas of the sympathetic nervous system and the release of another neurotransmitter called norepinephrine.

Norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline) is an excitatory neurotransmitter as it stimulates the body. This chemical helps in activating the body and brain to act during the fight-or-flight response, aiding in alertness.

Norepinephrine is released from the adrenal medulla after prolonged activation from postganglionic neurons. Epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) is also released from the adrenal medulla after increased levels of activation.

Epinephrine is also an excitatory neurotransmitter that is released into the bloodstream and enhances the neuronal effects of the SNS.

As a result, these neurotransmitters encourage the organs involved in the SNS to respond to a threat and cause blood vessels to dilate, or open up, to allow more blood flow in order for the muscles to fight or flight. This process is called vasodilation.

In other words, a perceived threat results in the secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine from the adrenal medulla, which then acts on several organs and the cardiovascular system to mediate the fight-or-flight response.

Problems with the SNS

Although most modern-day stressors that trigger the SNS may appear small, they may be interpreted by our nervous system as a potential life threat.

If the SNS is activated too frequently, this can have long-lasting effects on the body, resulting in chronic stress.

Similarly, constant surges of epinephrine can damage blood vessels and arteries, which in turn can increase blood pressure and increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Alternatively, if the SNS is under-functioning, this can also cause issues. If someone’s SNS is not functioning, they may not respond appropriately in times of stress.

They may not recognize that there is a danger, and they may take more risks as they are not being alerted by their SNS that they are in life-threatening situations.

As their organs are not receiving signals to fight-or-flight, they may be under-prepared in these situations, due to lack of blood being pumped around the body or other systems failing to be recruited.

Autonomic dysfunction is when the autonomic nervous system and its divisions do not work properly.

Depending on the condition, this may lead to altered functioning of the heart, sweat glands, pupils, and blood vessels. Autonomic dysfunction can develop when nerves of the autonomic nervous system are damaged and can range from mild to life-threatening.

The most common cause of autonomic dysfunction is diabetes, but there could be hereditary reasons, as well as aging, Parkinson’s disease, or chronic fatigue syndrome being some of the possible causes.

If someone believes they may be suffering from autonomic dysfunction, they may be experiencing one or more of the following symptoms:

Feeling dizziness or actually fainting. Inability to alter heart rate in response to exercise. Abnormally fast heart rate. Digestive issues. Visual problems, e.g. blurriness. Abnormal sweating – either too much sweating or not sweating enough. Lack of pupillary response.

Autonomic dysfunction can be treated depending on the symptoms being experienced. For instance, if the cause of dysfunction is due to diabetes, controlling blood sugar will be the primary treatment.

In many cases, treating the underlying disease (if applicable) can allow damaged nerves within the ANS to repair and regenerate.

Autonomic dysfunction can be diagnosed through a doctor, using measures such as blood pressure and heart rate, in order to understand what exactly the issue is.

How to calm an overactive sympathetic nervous system

If an individual has an overactive SNS in times that are not considered dangerous, there are quick methods that can somewhat aid in calming down the SNS.

Taking deep breaths at a slow and steady pace, as well as various breathing exercises, are ways to encourage our parasympathetic nervous system to antagonize the SNS. This can be a quick way to help manage stress responses and decrease anxiety.

Similarly, practicing mindfulness is another method to actively prompt the body to rest, rejuvenate and regenerate, allowing a return to homeostasis.

For more serious cases of chronic stress, deep breathing may not be useful, so it is recommended to seek a doctor’s advice, who may recommend medical treatment or therapies to be able to combat the cause of the stress.

Biology Dictionary. (October 4, 2019). Sympathetic Nervous System. https://biologydictionary.net/sympathetic-nervous-system/

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2019, September 13). Sympathetic nervous system. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/sympathetic-nervous-system

Lumen. (n.d.). Functions of the Autonomic Nervous System. Retrieved May 5, 2021 from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ap/chapter/functions-of-the-autonomic-nervous-system/

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How to Recognise a Fight-or-Flight Response

This entry was posted on 10 March, 2016 by TMP Admin .

As we navigate through life, it’s important for our physical survival that we recognise and act appropriately to dangerous situations. In these situations, we often don’t have time to logically weigh up our options and figure out the best course of action, and so our brains have evolved in such a way as to save us time.

When faced with a perceived threat to our safety, a part of the brain called the amygdala (which processes memory, decision-making and emotional reactions) is triggered and ‘hijacks’ the rational, thinking part of the brain. In other words, the amygdala decides for us whether we should stay and fight, run and hide, or freeze completely.

This is what is commonly referred to as the fight-flight-or-freeze response: very handy if a car is hurtling towards you, or someone starts following you down a dark, secluded alleyway, but not so useful if we’re simply arguing with our partner or just said something embarrassing to our co-workers. The amygdala struggles to tell the difference between real, immediate danger and perceived danger, i.e. although it’s painful to feel humiliated in front of others, it’s not going to kill us like a rabid dog would.

So how can we recognise when we are reacting disproportionality to a situation?

How Does This Moment Feel?

Learning to recognise our emotional reactions takes some time, and becomes better with practice. The more we tune in to what we’re experiencing in this moment, the more we remember to do it going forward, and perhaps most importantly the easier and more natural it becomes to do so. Therefore the best way to start noticing our amygdala reactions is to start developing a regular mindfulness practice in general, in the same way that exercising regularly now will ensure that your body is strong and healthy later on in life.

An easy place to start is to begin regularly asking yourself, ‘How does this moment feel?’ Set an alarm on your phone, or place a few sticky notes around your home or work desk if it helps you remember. Just take a moment to check in with yourself.

Try asking the question after something upsetting happens, like an argument, some bad news, or an unexpected bill, and get familiar with what happens in your body and mind when this stuff happens. Do you feel scared (like you want to run away), angry (like you want to fight) or numb (like you just want to curl up into a ball)? Is your heart rate elevating, your breath quickening or restricting, your body tensing and tightening, or feeling weak and fatigued? If so, you may be experiencing fight-flight-or-freeze. This is a universal experience: if you have a brain, you experience amygdala reactions, end of story! So don’t beat yourself up about it. Just try to observe it as best you can, so that you know how it manifests within you.

Once you’ve started to notice these reactions, what can you actually do about it?

Find out more about our mindfulness courses and workshops.

Mindfulness Techniques

Research shows that mindfulness practice shrinks the amygdala and also weakens connections between the amygdala and pre-frontal cortex. This means that over time we become less reactive to perceived threats and more able to think about how we’d like to respond. For example, when our partner does something that usually triggers a fight-or-flight response (i.e. makes a comment that we perceive as critical or embarrassing, yet isn’t meant as such), we can react more calmly and not in a way that then descends into an unnecessary falling-out.

Once we’ve recognised a change in our mood, like an onslaught of disproportionate rage or depression , we can then apply some helpful mindfulness techniques.

This could be focussing on the breath while we observe our amygdala-triggered thoughts. Any time that we notice our minds getting stuck, we gently bring the attention back to the breath, and continue to breathe through the reaction until it passes. Remember that the emotional reaction isn’t wrong or bad, but at the same time, if the reaction isn’t appropriate or helpful to the situation then it’s better to let it pass.

We might also try using mindfulness ‘anchors’ around us to help us come back to the moment. For example, try focussing on sounds, sights or other physical sensations that can help ground you in the present, again noticing where the mind goes, and each time gently and kindly bringing it back to your point of focus.

It’s useful to view this practice as a form of self-care. By taking proactive steps to guide ourselves through amygdala reactions, we can not only save ourselves from the harmful effects of prolonged stress in the body, but we can also avoid further negative or destructive situations occurring because of our fight-or-flight responses.

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How to Squeeze a Deep Breath into Your Jam-Packed Day

What is fight or flight.

The next two things I say shouldn’t surprise you:

1. Our culture is stressed out.

2. Stress is a bad thing.

It’s commonly known that stress is incredibly destructive in many ways—that’s why there are thousands of anti-stress books, programs, classes, and trainings on the market today.

But stressful situations aren’t the real problem with fight-or-flight mode. The problem is, fight or flight isn’t only activated during times of stress. It kicks in anytime we experience a perceived threat or stress. The key word being “perceived.” So anytime we catch even a whiff of fear or stress; not just when we’re experiencing it .

There are stressful things that happen all the time in life. It is our reaction to those external events that often cause the larger dose of stress. Why do we overreact, and in turn, create more stress for ourselves?

The Origins of Fight or Flight

The answer dates back thousands of years ago to caveman days; the fight or flight response is a primitive response that’s hard-wired into our brains. It was originally designed to make sure we’re alert and attentive during times of danger or threat to keep us protected. For example, when a lion came into view when we were gathering nuts and berries, the response would kick in to give us a surge of energy so we could get out of danger quickly.

This was super helpful when we encountered wild animals regularly, but the modern life does not present us with these life-threatening situations every day. The response, however, continues to kick in every day, despite the lack of danger in the wild that we now typically encounter. Today, the very same fight-or-flight response is activated anytime we experience a perceived threat or stress.

What Happens, Biologically, During Fight or Flight?

Our physiology reacts to this onset of stress by activating the sympathetic nervous system and releasing stress hormones—including adrenaline and cortisol—which again, can help us become alert and attentive during times of danger.

But it’s not so helpful in everyday life—and it happens all the time. This acute stress response can cause:

• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Rapid respiration
• Release of stress hormones
• Weakened immunity
• Platelet stickiness
• Less efficient minds and bodies

Fight-or-Flight in the Modern World

Question : How often do you think we experience flight-or-flight mode in our lives today?

Mull it over and take a guess, I’ll wait …

Make sure to take into account deadlines, decisions, traffic, relationships, conflict, financial woes, nerves, and any other stress-inducing events that happen to you each day—both big and small, real and perceived.

Answer : We are plunged into fight-or-flight mode on average between 8 and 15 times every day. Meaning, our stress hormones are being released into our bloodstream once every two or three hours every day, with varying degrees. Now THAT is stressful to think about. We often don’t realize how much it affects us.

Fighting Fight-or-Flight with Mindfulness and Meditation

In the West, we tend to think of meditation as a program for stress management, which makes sense because us westerners are far more stressed than other parts of the world, working hard and overcommitting ourselves. According to several studies, America is one of the most overworked and overstressed countries in the world , and stress levels are only on the rise. We need stress management tools and techniques now more than ever. Mindfulness practices, like meditation, are effective ways to cope with stress.

During meditation, our bodies shift into a state of restful awareness, where we can see and feel the opposite of what happens during that fight-or-flight response:

• Heart rate slows down
• Blood pressure normalizes
• Breathing slows and quiets
• Stress hormones calm and reduce
• Sweating normalizes
• Immunity strengthens because our body has been given the chance to rejuvenate

Meditation lowers cortisol levels and has the power to reverse the byproducts of stress.

Since our reactions to external events are what often cause us the larger doses of stress, proactively training our brains to be non-reactive is one of the best things we can do to manage stress levels. When we practice mindfulness, we’re in observation mode. Being mindful is the act of getting curious and observing what is happening instead of reacting to it. It bypasses the reaction time to external events and replaces it with a dose of non-judgmental curiosity.

Meditation is the most studied tool for mindfulness. But the point of meditation is not to create a window of peace and present-moment awareness in your day. The purpose is to be able to cultivate those feelings of peace and mindfulness and stillness, and bring them with you into your jobs, your relationships, and your communities … to bring the peace and wisdom and awareness that you cultivate during meditation into every part of your life.

Meditation is in no way a cure for stress, and it won’t remove stress from your life. But it will help you to react to stressful situations with more ease and grace.

Watch this 2-minute video for further explanation of the fight-or-flight response in an entertaining way.

Melissa Eisler

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Techniques to Tame the Fight-or-Flight Response

• Defininition
• Calming Techniques
• Abnormal Fight-or-Flight

If you've ever been in a highly stressful situation, you've likely experienced the fight-or-flight response. Your pulse races, your breathing speeds up, your pupils dilate—all in response to a perceived danger.

These symptoms serve an important purpose in some situations, but they can feel disruptive and uncomfortable in others. Someone with a mental health condition, for example, may have an overactive fight-or-flight response that can be triggered frequently, even when they're not in danger.

In these situations, there are techniques you can use to calm the fight-or-flight response and alleviate the symptoms of acute stress. Deep breathing, relaxation strategies, physical activity, and social support can all help if you are feeling the effects of a fight-or-flight response.

What Is the Fight-or-Flight Response?

When we're faced with a situation that causes extreme anxiety or fear, our bodies will respond with a sudden, involuntary display of symptoms like:

• A racing heart
• Balled fists
• Dilated pupils
• Shallow, rapid breathing
• Tensed muscles

These physical reactions are what we call the fight-or-flight response (also known as hyperarousal or the acute stress response). This occurs when the perception of a threat triggers a cascade of physiological changes and the brain sets off an alarm throughout the central nervous system.

As a result, the adrenal glands will start pumping out hormones, called adrenaline and noradrenaline, which place the body on high alert to either confront the threat ("fight") or leave as quickly as possible ("flight"). These physiological changes serve specific, important functions:

• Rapid pulse and respiration increase your oxygen supply for fast and/or prolonged action.
• The conversion of your body's fuel source (glycogen) to fuel (glucose) allows for a burst of energy in your muscles.
• The dilation of your pupils allows more light into your eyes, helping you to see better at night.

The fight-or-flight response is reflexive, and it allows us to act before thinking (such as slamming on the brakes to avoid an accident).

How to Calm the Fight-or-Flight Response

Since the fight-or-flight response is a reflex, you can't control when and where it occurs. However, you can use self-help techniques to calm down quickly and alleviate the symptoms.

Deep Breathing

One technique involves a three-part breathing exercise, which allows you to voluntarily slow your breathing. This can also bring down both your heart rate and adrenaline response.

The exercise, which incorporates some of the technique of pranayama breathing in yoga, involves six basic steps:

• Find a place that's quiet. Turn off your phone and close doors and curtains.
• Sit in a straight-back chair with both feet on the ground or lie on the floor.
• Place your right hand on your stomach and your left hand on your rib cage so that you can physically feel your inhalation and exhalation.
• Start inhaling by expanding the belly outward, allowing it to inflate like a balloon.
• Next, move your breath into the rib cage and all the way into the upper chest.
• Exhale by reversing this action, contracting your abdominal muscles as you finish.

You can practice this in one-minute intervals with the goal of gradually increasing to five minutes.

The practice may not only help alleviate acute attacks, but it can also be used to de-stress as part of a daily routine.

Relaxation Practices

Aside from deep breathing, there are several other relaxation techniques you can use to bring yourself out of the fight-or-flight response.

Visualization is one method that involves using mental imagery to picture yourself in a calming location. Similar to daydreaming, visualization exercises require you to imagine yourself in a relaxing place, like a peaceful beach or secluded field, while focusing on the details of those surroundings.

Mantra meditation is another way to reach a more relaxed state. This form of meditation relies on a mantra, or chosen word or phrase, that's repeated throughout the practice. Your mantra can be anything you choose, and you can repeat it out loud or silently throughout the meditation.

Mindful Moment

Need a breather? Take this free 2-minute meditation for instant calm —or choose from our guided meditation library to find another one that will help you feel your best.

Physical Activity

Engaging in light physical exercise may help regulate your breathing, reduce your muscle tension, and distract you from the cause of your acute stress. Some options include:

• Yoga, which may improve your ability to recover after a stressful event
• Tai chi , which could affect how your body reacts to stress and even improve your ability to cope with it
• Walking and walking meditation, which may reduce blood pressure (especially when combined with other relaxation techniques)

Social Support

Reaching out to family or friends for social support may help you cope in a moment of acute stress, and maintaining close relationships is beneficial for your overall well-being. In fact, one study found that the presence of social support helped reduce the negative effects of stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic .

Complementary Therapies

Other non-prescription treatment options include valerian root and passionflower (herbal supplements commonly used as non-addictive relaxants) and B-complex vitamins, which may help regulate stress chemicals produced by the brain. You should also consider avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine during a fight-or-flight response.

Treatment for Abnormal Fight-or-Flight Response

While the fight-or-flight response is a vital self-defense mechanism, some people have an overly sensitive response. For these individuals, the symptoms occur either far too frequently, or they happen at inappropriate times. There may be several reasons for this:

• An imbalance in brain hormones, such as in anxiety and bipolar disorders
• Post-traumatic distress
• A history of verbal or physical abuse
• The existence of panic disorder
• Coming into contact with the object of a phobia

It's not only exhausting to spend so much time in a state of high alert, but it can also be physically damaging. The physical consequences of acute stress can include high blood pressure, migraine headaches, and exacerbation of fibromyalgia, chronic gastritis, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms.

If you have an abnormal fight-or-flight response, your treatment will likely involve counseling and psychotherapy to better identify the psychological or psychiatric roots of the issue. In some cases, your doctor may recommend medication, particularly if you're experiencing severe anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) .

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A Word From Verywell

Whether it's a symptom of a mental health condition or the result of being in a dangerous situation, we will all find ourselves in the fight-or-flight response at some point. Regardless of what prompts it, being in this state isn't a comfortable experience. Learning to calm yourself down is a valuable tool that can help you manage your reaction to acute stress and improve your overall well-being.

Ibrahim A, Koyuncu G, Koyuncu N, Suzer NE, Cakir OD, Karcioglu O. The effect of Benson relaxation method on anxiety in the emergency care .  Medicine (Baltimore) . 2019;98(21). doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000015452

Sengupta P. Health impacts of yoga and pranayama: A state-of-the-art review . Int J Prev Med . 2012;3(7):444-458.

Benvenutti MJ, Alves E da S, Michael S, Ding D, Stamatakis E, Edwards KM. A single session of hatha yoga improves stress reactivity and recovery after an acute psychological stress task—A counterbalanced, randomized-crossover trial in healthy individuals .  Complement Ther Med . 2017;35:120-126. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2017.10.009

Robert‐McComb JJ, Chyu M-C, Tacón A, Norman R. The effects of tai chi on measures of stress and coping style .  Focus Altern Complement Ther . 2015;20(2):89-96. doi:10.1111/fct.12179

Matzer F, Nagele E, Lerch N, Vajda C, Fazekas C. Combining walking and relaxation for stress reduction-A randomized cross-over trial in healthy adults .  Stress Health . 2018;34(2):266-277. doi:10.1002/smi.2781

Ye Z, Yang X, Zeng C, et al. Resilience, social support, and coping as mediators between COVID-19-related stressful experiences and acute stress disorder among college students in China .  Appl Psychol Health Well-Being . 2020;12(4):1074-1094. doi:10.1111/aphw.12211

Meier S, Haschke M, Zahner C, et al. Effects of a fixed herbal drug combination (Ze 185) to an experimental acute stress setting in healthy men - An explorative randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study . Phytomedicine . 2018;39:85-92. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2017.12.005

Stough C, Scholey A, Lloyd J, Spong J, Myers S, Downey LA. The effect of a 90 day administration of a high dose vitamin B-complex on work stress . Hum Psychopharmacol . 2011;26(7):470-476. doi:10.1002/hup.1229

Oyola MG, Handa RJ. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axes: sex differences in regulation of stress responsivity . Stress . 2017;20(5):476-494. doi:10.1080/10253890.2017.1369523

Roque AP. Pharmacotherapy as prophylactic treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: A review of the literature . Issues Ment Health Nurs . 2015;36(9):740-751. doi:10.3109/01612840.2015.1057785

Reynaud E, Guedj E, Trousselard M, et al. Acute stress disorder modifies cerebral activity of amygdala and prefrontal cortex .  Cogn Neurosci . 2015;6(1):39-43. doi:10.1080/17588928.2014.996212

By Marcia Purse Marcia Purse is a mental health writer and bipolar disorder advocate who brings strong research skills and personal experiences to her writing.

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Creative Thinking in Crisis Psychology

Accepting and expecting the unexpected in crisis psychology..

Posted July 28, 2024 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

• Creative thinking in crisis psychology can help morph the unexpected and the unknown into crises avoided.
• Many psychology techniques can support this approach, especially variations of having a devil’s advocate.
• With imagination and initiative, the impact of “unknown unknowns” can be reduced.

"Surprise!"

It can be fun if it involves a birthday party or other celebration. It is less enticing when a danger or threat should have been anticipated, but was not.

Part of crisis psychology is investigating how to avoid a crisis. What actions could be taken in advance of a threat to ensure that a threat does not become a crisis? How could these actions be implemented before it is too late by those with the political power and resources to do so?

The people who died in Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were not to blame (apart from the terrorists in the latter). Those who had the information and opportunities available beforehand for stopping the disasters lacked the mindset to act competently in time. The U.S. House of Representatives’ Select Bipartisan Committee’s report into Hurricane Katrina was titled “A Failure of Initiative.” The 9/11 Commission explained that, “It is therefore crucial to find a way of routinizing, even bureaucratizing, the exercise of imagination ."

Initiative and imagination can prevent and overcome unwelcome surprises. Crisis psychology offers specific ways of creative thinking for it.

Creative thinking

Arthur C. Clarke’s 1956 novel The City and The Stars includes the character of the Jester. Rather than being a joker or a fool for comedic entertainment, this Jester’s job was to break people’s routines so that they think differently, considering alternative actions. The Jester forced people outside of their comfort zones to stop them from doing exactly the same in exactly the same way.

How many boardrooms or government cabinets have a jester cajoling members to consider data and policies from new angles? How many times are we rewarded by offering advice which seems ridiculous, and is, yet inspires new and previously unconsidered directions?

Another articulation in various forms, including in the movie World War Z under the non- gender -neutral guise of the “Tenth Man Theory,” is always having a dissenter. If a group of 10 makes decisions, the notion is that when nine people agree, then the 10th must raise disagreements and counterproposals. Similarly, Red Team Analysis, Red Team Thinking, and Red Teaming aim to present an adversary’s perspective to assist decisions. It could be extended to examining problems and solutions from numerous cultural and experiential viewpoints.

Generalizing, if a certain number of people agree on an interpretation or an action, then find someone else to offer alternatives and argue against the consensus. This “n+1th Person Technique” or “One More Person Theory” could be enacted as teams rather than as individuals.

These suggestions are, of course, more precise formulations of what is commonly known as the Devil’s Advocate. What is unusual in many decision-making circumstances today is ensuring that someone becomes the Devil’s Advocate and then really listening to and responding to what they express.

Is it really a surprise?

The question remains how much unconventional thinking really does contribute to crisis psychology. After all, uncreative, predictable scenarios with precedents seem surprising when they manifest.

Louisiana and Mississippi sit in a hurricane zone, they have had severe hurricanes before, and it was hurricane season when Katrina made landfall. Neither the mayor of New Orleans (later imprisoned for bribery and fraud) nor the head of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (who had had close to zero pre-FEMA crisis-related experience) should have been surprised by Hurricane Katrina.

Prior to 9/11, al-Qaeda had tried to destroy the World Trade Center with a truck bomb in 1993, while both fiction and reality provided examples of terrorists trying to use airplanes to destroy iconic buildings. In December 2000, a Gatwick-to-Nairobi jet nearly crashed when a passenger breached the flight deck and knocked the controls. Israel’s flag carrier, El Al, had long had secure cockpit doors and procedures as well as plainclothes armed guards aboard, among many other layers of security.

With imagination and initiative supported by leadership , many foreseeable situations do not need to become surprises or crises. Few so-called “ black swans ” are real. Who, when, where, and why might be unknown. What and how can be worked out and can be used to develop scenarios and readiness?

Unknown unknowns

Not that what and how can always be determined beforehand. As mooted in 1969, “unknown unknowns” exist. Not all earthquake faults have been fully mapped. An unstudied mountain can flare into a volcanic eruption. Before July 16, 1945, it was not clear that nuclear bombs could be built—or detonated without destroying the planet.

Scientists and political leaders had the imagination to speculate about atomic bombs and the initiative to pursue them, for good or bad. This article provokes the imagination to consider unknown earthquake faults and volcanoes. Who provides the initiative through resources and leadership to seek them out?

It means going beyond the adage of “expect the unexpected.” Expect it, yes, but also accept that creativity through unpredictable thinking can reduce the chance of an unpredictable situation—and then a crisis.

Campbell, R.R. 1969. “The arms procurement art”. Ordnance, 54, 297, 306-309.

Clarke, A.C. 1956. The City and the Stars. Signet, New York.

National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. 2004. The 9/11 Commission Report. United States Government, Washington, DC.

Streets, D.G. and M.H. Glantz. 2000. Exploring the concept of climate surprise. Global Environment Change, 10, 2, 97-107.

US House of Representatives. 2006. A Failure of Initiative: Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina. 109th Congress, 2nd Session, Report 109-377. United States Government, Washington, DC.

Ilan Kelman, Ph.D. , is Professor of Disasters and Health at University College London, England and a Professor II at the University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway.

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Sticking up for yourself is no easy task. But there are concrete skills you can use to hone your assertiveness and advocate for yourself.

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