Send us a text

The fight-or-flight response can keep us alive when faced with a threat. But our brains often prepare us for battle even when the threats are just words or thoughts. Pausing before responding to perceived threats helps expand our options.

When we’re under attack, we don’t always have time to think. When perceiving a threat, the body responds automatically, increasing blood flow, dilating the pupils, and shutting down non-essential systems in the body. The brain readies the body to fight or flee. The fight-or-flight response has served the animal kingdom well for countless eons. However, humans face a far more complex world. Our brains don’t always differentiate between an actual, physical threat and one posed by words. An email, a social media post, or even a thought about a possible problem in the future can trigger the fight-or-flight response. Yet the brain can rely on the context to flip between feeling threatened and feeling excited. A lion in the grass ahead could cause us to flee in panic – unless that same lion is behind a barrier at the zoo. Recognizing the context can diminish the grip of the fight-or-flight reflex.

Several actions can help create some space so that we can assess our options: pausing and taking a few deep breaths, labeling our emotions, and noticing sensations in the body. With this space, we can better see the context, question the threat, and devise reasonable responses.

See the full transcript and additional resources here: http://projectindra.org/apotheosis-podcast/episode-28-to-fight-or-not-to-fight