The Body’s 4 Stress Responses (and How to Ease Tension)

Suppose you’re in a social situation and your friend says something that makes you uncomfortable. In this case, you may call them out on it, leave the room, keep quiet or try to fit in. This response may not stem from a logical place but rather your innate survival instincts – this is known as the stress response.

This article looks at the four types of responses humans have towards danger, how these may affect normal functioning and how to ease the tension.

What is the Body’s Stress Response?

A stress response is a reaction to a stressful situation, be it an actual threat or the perception of a threat. When humans experience stress, our executive functioning doesn’t perform optimally – essentially, the logic goes out the window – because our sympathetic nervous system activates.

The sympathetic nervous system puts your survival instincts in the driver’s seat, making it hard to control your behavior or feelings towards a situation. Unfortunately, this system can’t always differentiate between varying levels of danger, whether you’re face to face with a lion or in an uncomfortable position with your peers. Either way, your body perceives danger and reacts with one of the four stress responses.

How Do the 4 Stress Responses Display in Our Behavior?

Although there are only four ways experts believe humans respond to stressors, they can manifest in various manners. As you work to understand your own stress responses through self-awareness, you can begin to take back control and choose to respond more mindfully.

Fight

Many people perceive the fight response as an aggressive display. While it can manifest as a physical or verbal altercation, it has many layers. In essence, the fight response is when someone moves towards the stressor. Someone who displays the fight response may challenge the person or situation and push back as they experience anger, irritation, or even competitiveness.

Flight

The flight response causes someone to flee or move away from a situation. The purpose of this survival tactic is to avoid the threat and any potential consequences. However, the way this manifests in someone’s behavior may come as a surprise. Some people might physically remove themselves from the situation by leaving, but if that’s not available, one may daydream or find another route away. For example, if you have trouble at work, someone who experiences the flight response may quit and find a new job.

Freeze

Some situations may not cause us to flee or fight; instead, they render us immobile. Experts describe the freeze response as paralyzing as it stops our logical thinking brain and sometimes our ability to leave the situation. People in this situation may try to hide by keeping their attention away from them and not speaking up. For some people, this looks like taking a day off work to ignore the problem or even experiencing severe procrastination.

Fawn

The previous stress responses may come from instincts passed through our biology from our ancestors, whereas the fawn response may be a learned behavior in childhood. This is the idea of making oneself “agreeable” to the threat. The fawn response may manifest as taking the blame, even if it’s not your fault, or using flattery to reduce and deflect the threat. In short, the aim is to get the threat on your side to avoid confrontation and please those around you.

How to Regulate the Nervous System and Ease Stress

Everyone experiences these responses differently, and many people tend to have varying reactions in different situations. With some practice, it’s possible to strengthen your somatic intelligence, meaning you learn your individual stress responses and recover from them faster. Below we outline a couple of tips on how to ease the nervous system and reduce the stress response so you can regain control.

Self-Awareness

Many people live life on ‘autopilot’, letting their learned behaviors and instincts dictate how they live. Only through self-awareness can you begin to notice the ways your mind and body react to different situations. Through regular mindfulness training, one can increase their self-awareness and ability to calm the central nervous system. With this awareness, you can choose whether you want to change these responses or not. Daily meditation allows you to pause before reacting, giving you time to reduce the response and choose a more appropriate path.

Acceptance

Rather than getting upset, disappointed, or angry at how you react to a situation, try to practice acceptance. The stress responses are biological and psychological processes. Accepting it is a crucial step to calming the nervous system and making peace with who you are before deciding to make changes.

Return to the Present Moment

When your body activates the sympathetic nervous system and, thus, the stress responses, it creates a chemical reaction. Research shows it takes only 90 seconds for that process to occur, after which the huge charge of emotion you feel will diffuse.

However, as humans, we have a tendency to ruminate on negative experiences – repeating them in our minds. As you fuel that stressor with negative thoughts, feelings, and actions, you are prolonging the chemical reaction in the body. Although, with your self-awareness practice, you can return to the present moment. When you recognize your thoughts spiraling and your instincts taking control, try to take a moment to focus on the present moment. Use breathing techniques and labeling to self-soothe, allowing that emotional charge (the chemical reaction) to diffuse before reacting to a situation.

Below are some ways to bring you back to the present moment:

• Breathing exercises, such as box breathing; 
• Tune into your senses and name 5 things you see around, 4 things you hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste – taking your time to focus on each one; 
• Label the emotions you feel without judgment. Accept that and simply try to observe them as you let the emotions go;
• Touch is a powerful self-soothing technique. When you experience a warm, safe touch, it releases oxytocin – an antidote for stress. This may be a hug from someone or yourself. Alternatively, you can place your hand on your heart as you focus on breathing. In fact, one 2005 study published in the Psychosomatic Medicine journal shows that this causes us to experience safety and calm;
• Movement can help take your mind off negative thoughts or feelings. Going for a walk, exercising, or stretching can release positive hormones and distract you long enough for the chemical reactions to pass.

Try the Soothing Effects of CBD

There are many all-natural supplements out there that may help encourage relaxation or soothe stress. Cannabis dip is one method that quickly delivers CBD to your system for a fast-acting, long-lasting experience. Manufacturers fill a pouch with filler and CBD, which users place between the gum and lip. In this way, the saliva helps get the CBD into your bloodstream, where it takes effect.

CBD, Cannabidiol, is one popular ingredient that many people use to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, improve sleep and ease physical discomfort. Through these potential benefits, CBD might help relax your mind in tense situations. What’s more, many CBD dips come in a variety of flavors for an even more enjoyable experience and stress-relieving activity.

Talk to a Professional

If a condition such as anxiety is causing your nervous system to go haywire, you may consider talking to a professional. A qualified therapist can teach you about your body’s responses to stress and anxiety triggers. As well as how to manage them and find more peace in your life.

Final Thoughts

Our stress responses are there to protect us and keep us alive – they serve a purpose. Although as our world adapted, our responses didn’t, thus making it hard to differentiate between different levels of danger. Today, it seems some of these responses are hindering our happiness and well-being more than helping them. By practicing mindful awareness, acceptance, and present moment living, you may start to ease the responses so you can think clearer and make smarter decisions. It’s important to reach out to a professional if you think you’re suffering from a mental illness, as they can provide the help you need to find calm and happiness again.