Imagine waking up tomorrow feeling better, more energized, and less stressed. Sounds dreamy, right? What if I told you that achieving this is within your reach? All you need is a little understanding of your nervous system response and some simple exercises to break free from the stress cycle. Let’s dive into how you can start feeling better today.

The Stress Response: From Lions to Laptops

Thousands of years ago, stress was about life or death – think lions lurking in the brush. Today, our stressors look different: tight schedules, demanding bosses, and the mental load of motherhood. Despite the changes, our brains haven’t evolved to differentiate between a real threat and a snide comment from a coworker. To our nervous system, stress is stress, and it reacts the same way.

Meet Your Stress Responses: Fight, Flight, Freeze

Understanding how your body reacts to stress is the first step in managing it. There are three common stress responses: fight, flight, and freeze.

Fight or Flight: The Gas Pedal

The fight and flight responses are driven by your sympathetic nervous system, which acts like a gas pedal in your car, propelling you into action.

Fight Response: You might feel irritable, edgy, or quick to anger. This could manifest as having a loud inner critic, feeling defensive, or experiencing physical tension like a tight jaw or clenched fists.

Flight Response: You might feel a constant need to escape, becoming fidgety or anxious. This often leads to behaviors like overworking, shopping sprees, or withdrawing from social interactions.

Freeze: The Brake Pedal

The freeze response is a function of your parasympathetic nervous system, specifically a dorsal vagal collapse. Think of this as your body slamming on the brakes.

Freeze Response: You might feel stuck, emotionally numb, or detached. This can look like being unable to move or speak, feeling overwhelmed, or spacing out.

Awareness is Your Superpower

Noticing which state you’re in – fight, flight, or freeze – is crucial. Awareness always precedes choice. Once you recognize your stress response, you can take steps to bring safety to your body and shift out of that state.

What Do These Responses Feel Like?

Here’s a quick guide to identifying how each stress response might feel in your body:

Fight:

• Restlessness, irritability, anxiety
• Short, shallow breaths
• Physical tension (tight jaw, clenched fists)
• Defensive reactions (blaming, judging)

Flight:

• Anxiety, overthinking, panic
• Constant movement (tapping feet, pacing)
• Escapism (workaholic tendencies, drinking to relax)
• Withdrawal from social interactions

Freeze:

• Emotional numbness, detachment
• Difficulty moving or speaking
• Procrastination, chronic fatigue
• Spacing out, daydreaming

Breaking Free: Restore Your Calm

If any of these responses resonate with you, don’t worry – your body is doing exactly what it thinks it needs to do to keep you safe. The good news is, you can train your body to move out of survival mode. With somatic release work, you can unlock the stress cycle, change your habits, and bring safety to your body.

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