Get Out of Fight-Flight-Freeze Mode as a Stress Response
When your body enters fight-flight-freeze mode, you may feel tense and on edge. Your heart rate increases, you're trembling, and struggle to think straight.
Stress is a natural part of life, but when it becomes too much, it turns into chronic stress. Being in the fight-flight-freeze response in a chronic way doesn’t always mean you’re in a panic. It can look like your body shutting down and developing chronic illness or pain, but underneath your mind and body are at a stressful level you may not be aware of. This can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health. One of the most common stress responses is the fight-flight-freeze mode. In this mode, the body prepares itself to defend against perceived danger, either by fighting back, fleeing, or freezing.
The 4 tips mentioned below are here to help guide you through managing your body's stress responses. They will help you to send messages of safety to your brain and body, and move out of the stress response and into a calmer state.
What is Fight-Flight-Freeze Mode?
Fight-flight-freeze mode is your body's physiological response to something it perceives to be a danger to you. It can be terrifying and overwhelming the first few times you experience it! The response is triggered by the release of hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, in your body, preparing you to either fight the situation, run away, or freeze in fear.
Fight-flight-freeze mode is also known as an acute stress response. It is a survival mechanism that kicks in when we are faced with a threat or danger. What's important to note is that this is your body's way of trying to protect you!
How Does It Feel in the Body?
The hormones your body releases upon being triggered can cause physical reactions, such as an increased heart rate, muscle tension, and rapid breathing.
You might also start to sweat, struggle to concentrate on your surroundings, and feel an overwhelming sense of unease or anxiety.
Over time, these responses become less obvious and show up in ways like chronic physical pain, fatigue, or mental illness.
1) Cognitive Soothing
One of the most effective ways to manage fight-flight-freeze mode is by using cognitive soothing techniques. These techniques help to calm our thoughts and reduce the physical symptoms of stress.
Repeating affirmations out loud, like “I am safe in this moment”, can help soothe your beating heart. Deep breaths, meditation, and journaling can also help to soothe your nervous system. When you can acknowledge to yourself that this will pass, the fear doesn’t have to take over as much.
2) Lean Into Your Bodily Sensations
If you find yourself in fight-flight-freeze mode, concentrating on your body can be helpful. Another way to manage fight-flight-freeze mode is to lean into your bodily sensations. Pay attention to the physical sensations in your body, such as tightness in your muscles or rapid breathing. Notice these sensations without judgment or fear, just noting them as sensations can help alleviate the fear that comes when we are afraid of the feelings.
You can focus on slowing down your breathing, focus on all 5 of your senses, and take the time to concentrate on how your skin feels, what you smell, and the sounds you hear. By becoming aware of these sensations, you can begin to release the tension and begin soothing the body.
3) Avoid Self-Judgment
It is important to avoid self-judgment when managing fight-flight-freeze mode.
This means not criticizing yourself for feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Take note of how you’re feeling and the thoughts you’re thinking, and be kind and understanding towards yourself.
Remind yourself that these feelings are normal and that you are doing your best.
4) Release Expectations
Finally, let go of the need to control or predict the future. Try to focus on the present moment and accept things as they are. You don’t have to “fix” yourself the second you feel triggered or do anything to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
It’s a human reaction that has evolved through the centuries and is a perfectly normal reaction to a stressful or dangerous situation.
Fight-flight-freeze mode is a natural stress response, but it can have a negative impact on our health if left unchecked. By using cognitive soothing techniques, leaning into our bodily sensations, avoiding self-judgment, and releasing expectations, we can manage this stress response and improve our overall well-being.
Intro to the Author
I’m Grace, a holistic psychotherapist, nervous system coach, yoga therapist, and pain specialist. My self-development journey started early at age 15 when going to psychotherapy literally saved my life.
I started developing chronic physical symptoms at age 20 that went on for years, without answers. I felt hopeless and would cry myself to sleep at night because it seemed like I was going to have to live with it forever. My self-esteem dropped, and I was anxious and depressed all the time.
Once I entered the holistic world and worked on regulating my nervous system by working with the mind and body, I started to heal. I healed fibromyalgia in 3 months and chronic histamine headaches in 2 weeks from using this work. The mindbody healing method has completely changed the way I live and see the world. This is why I am devoting my life to this work, and absolutely love helping others heal and eliminate the pain and suffering that can come from chronic mental and physical pain.
The proven, Mindbody Healing Method (MHM) offers a unique, one-of-a-kind approach to healing the root cause of anxiety, chronic pain, fatigue, etc. It’s about healing the root cause of your pain through regulating your nervous system and finding healing through retraining your brain.
The regular price for the MHM program is $2500. The first round is only $1400 starting March 15th, 2023, with limited spots available. In order to make sure you are a good fit and will see results, you need to apply to be in. Once you apply, we will have a call to make sure you're a good fit because I want to ensure you get results.
And if you liked this blog post, please share it with your friends and leave a comment below. I’d love to hear which technique you’ve found most useful in managing your fight-flight-freeze mode.
