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Mental Health Matters: BREAKING FREE FROM FIGHT OR FLIGHT

by Jeanni Ritchie

The fight-or-flight response refers to the physiological reaction that occurs when in the presence of something mentally or physically terrifying. This response is triggered by the release of hormones that prepare your body to either stay and deal with a threat or to run away to safety.

The three stages of fight-or-flight are:

The alarm stage: During this stage, the central nervous system is ramped up, preparing your body to fight or flee.

The resistance stage: This is the stage in which the body attempts to normalize and recover from the initial elevated fight-or-flight response.

The exhaustion stage: If the first two stages occur repeatedly over time, such as when under chronic stress, this can cause the body to feel exhausted and begin to break down.

I always referred to it as running vs. throwing dynamite. I did both often. Running doesn’t necessarily mean going anywhere though I listened to Jackson Dean’s Don’t Come Looking on repeat once for an entire month daydreaming about disappearing completely. 

Running can also be escaping into a recliner with a remote in hand for hours on end, turning to a bottle, or sleeping away as many hours as possible. It’s a form of escapism and is the flight response. 

If I wasn’t escaping, I was fighting. Throwing dynamite into situations I couldn’t handle and then running off and wondering why everything escalated was a frequent mode for me. I was never great about patience or letting things simmer down. 

I finally learned that it’s okay to walk away from tense situations. I discovered that conflicts often resolve themselves if you just leave them alone. I found peace and joy inside by relying on an internal regulator to keep me off a constant roller coaster of emotions. 

After operating so long in fight-or-flight mode, it’s difficult to readjust your mindset. Controlling your mind, however, is key to managing the physiological response as well. 

Here are five proven ways to pull yourself out of fight or flight:

1. Exercise – its own complete stress cycle

When we exercise we get a short-term spike in cortisol, followed by a healthy reduction in cortisol and adrenaline. That increases 

endorphins and serotonin, which improve mood. Exercise is a helpful way to relieve feelings of stress.

2. Cognitive activities – reduce negative thinking

Overly negative thinking can trigger or extend the stress response. The relationship between stress and cortisol is stronger in people with more negative thinking. Activities to reduce negative thinking and promote a more realistic view can reduce the stress response. Try journalling or writing down worries. This engages the logical and rational parts of the brain to help us think more realistically.

3. Getting creative – a pathway out of ‘flight or fight’

Creative activities can be art, craft, gardening, cooking, or other activities such as doing a puzzle, juggling, music, theatre, dancing or simply being absorbed in enjoyable work. Such pursuits increase prefrontal cortex activity and promote flow and focus.

4. Getting social and releasing feel-good hormones

Talking with someone else, physical affection with a person or pet, and laughing can all increase oxytocin. This is a chemical messenger in the brain that increases social bonding and makes us feel connected and safe. Laughing activates the limbic system as well. This all increases endorphins and serotonin and improves our mood.

5. Self-soothing

Breathing exercises and meditation stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which calms down our stress responses so we can “reset” via the vagus nerves, and reduce cortisol. A good cry can help too by releasing stress energy and increasing oxytocin and endorphins. A warm bath in Epsom salts can calm both your mind and body. 

Next time you find yourself in flight or fight mode, take a deep breath and let the pragmatic part of your brain process the situation before reacting. 

Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com

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