Fight-or-flight is a term used for how humans and many animals respond to threats. This response is natural, but it can become less helpful when evoked too frequently. Stress is very physical for most individuals, which leads to heightened sympathetic nervous system activity and many symptoms of anxiety. If you are feeling anxious over something that is not dangerous, such as giving a speech to a crowd, your heart might start racing and you could feel nauseated. Your fight-or-flight might kick in in this situation, but it is clearly not appropriate for this setting.
It is important to know that there are ways to soothe yourself if your anxiety leads to this response. It’s likely that if you are an anxious person, you’ve been told to take deep breaths. Deep breathing is especially important if your fight-or-flight kicks in because this response causes the sympathetic nervous system to increase your heart rate, and your breathing becomes shallow. Researchers have found that if you take slow and deep abdominal breaths when you are experiencing panic or stress, you are counteracting the response.
Practicing acceptance is extremely beneficial for anxious individuals. If you start worrying about your fight-or-flight response when it is happening, it could send signals to your brain that you are in danger, which prolongs the body’s response. The clearest example of this is in the instance of panic attacks. When a person starts believing their panic symptoms are going to harm them, it continues the cycle of panic and prolongs the process. To counter this effect, accepting the sensations of your fight-or-flight response can help reduce the sensations themselves.
When your fight-or-flight response kicks in, try to recognize and reflect on whether or not it is useful. This is considered a cognitive-behavioral approach, and it can help reduce the response in instances where it is not helpful. Many times when you are feeling anxious, you are trying to “escape” a perceived “threat” when you are truly not in any physical danger. Reframing how you see the situation can help relax the sympathetic nervous system.
Our fight-or-flight response is a very natural reaction that is there to keep you safe from potential dangers. In many instances, this response is valuable. However, many individuals struggle with an overactive fight-or-flight response, which can contribute to mental and physical health issues. Understanding why you have this response, and how to manage it, can help you make strides toward an overall healthier lifestyle.