The fight-or-flight response has been hardwired into us since the dawn of humanity—a survival mechanism that once helped our ancestors face life-threatening dangers, like cave bears or rival tribes. Today, while you’re unlikely to encounter predators on your morning commute, your body responds to modern stressors—like workplace conflicts or even the relentless buzz of your smartphone—with the same physiological reactions designed for survival.
This response, while useful in bursts, can wreak havoc on your well-being when activated too often in our fast-paced world. Let’s explore the evolution of the fight-or-flight response, how it operates, and, more importantly, how to reset when it gets stuck in overdrive.
Expanding the Fight-or-Flight Response: Understanding Freeze and Fawn
For decades, the fight-or-flight response was considered the foundation of our stress response system. However, modern research has expanded this framework to include two additional responses: freeze and fawn.[1]
While “fight” and “flight” are well-known—think defending yourself or running from danger—the “freeze” response involves a moment of immobilization, where fear temporarily halts action. The “fawn” response, on the other hand, refers to an instinct to appease a perceived threat, often by people-pleasing behaviors like over-apologizing, excessive flattery, or quickly agreeing to demands in tense situations. This reaction may not be as intuitive but can be equally impactful in how we handle stress.
Each of these responses is fueled by a powerful biochemical reaction designed to help us respond to danger. For example, the “fight” response may manifest as clenched fists, grinding teeth, or even a surge of physical energy. “Flight” could appear as restlessness or a strong urge to escape, while “freeze” might feel like a paralyzing sense of dread. The “fawn” response may look like being overly helpful or conciliatory to diffuse conflict.
Understanding these responses helps us recognize patterns in how we react to stress and empowers us to regain control. While these reactions evolved to protect us from immediate dangers, they can become problematic in today’s fast-paced world, where stress is often chronic and less tangible. Awareness is the first step toward managing these responses effectively.
How it Works: The Science Behind Fight-or-Flight
The fight-or-flight response is part of your autonomic nervous system, which manages essential functions like blood pressure, digestion, and sweating—tasks your body performs automatically.[2] This system has two complementary components: the sympathetic nervous system, which activates your body during stress, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps it recover afterward.
Here’s how it works: When your eyes or ears detect a potential threat, they send an alert to your hypothalamus. This, in turn, activates the sympathetic nervous system, triggering the physiological changes we associate with the fight-or-flight response. Your heart beats faster, blood flow increases to vital organs, your senses sharpen, and your body releases hormones and glucose to fuel a burst of energy.
Once the danger has passed, the parasympathetic nervous system—led by the vagus nerve—steps in to restore balance. It slows your heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and shifts your body back to a calm, “rest and digest” state.
Think of it like driving a car: the sympathetic nervous system is the gas pedal, and the parasympathetic system is the brake. Together, they keep your body moving in sync. But when the fight-or-flight response fires too often or doesn’t shut off, it can take a toll on your physical and mental health.[3]
When Fight-or-Flight Response Goes Wrong
The fight-or-flight response is designed to protect us, but sometimes, the delicate balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems is disrupted. When this happens, your body can become stuck in a heightened state of stress, unable to fully return to a calm, “rest-and-digest” state.
For people under chronic stress, the “gas pedal” of the sympathetic system may get pressed more often than it should. And it’s no wonder—while our ancestors faced immediate, tangible threats like predators, modern stress is often less obvious but just as relentless. It can stem from a never-ending stream of emails, a thoughtless comment, or the constant hum of a 24/7 news cycle. Unlike ancient stressors that came and went quickly, today’s challenges often leave little time to process or recover.
Over time, this sustained activation of the fight-or-flight response can take a toll. Research has linked chronic stress to a range of negative health outcomes, including weight gain, high blood pressure, and even changes to brain chemistry that increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and addiction.[4]
Understanding how stress affects your body is the first step toward regaining control and restoring balance.
Mastering Your Fight-or-Flight Response
A well-functioning vagus nerve is key to managing stress effectively. Known as “good vagal tone,” this ability to shift smoothly out of fight-or-flight mode is crucial for restoring balance.
Fortunately, there are simple techniques you can use to support your vagus nerve and bring calm back into your day. Diaphragmatic breathing, for example, involves deep, slow breaths that engage the diaphragm, helping to lower your heart rate. Visualization exercises—like closing your eyes and vividly recalling a comforting place from childhood, whether it’s a snowy sledding hill or a peaceful beach—can also be powerful.
Engaging in joyful, nostalgic activities can further ease stress. Maybe it’s savoring two scoops of ice cream at your favorite café or diving into a beloved hobby. For those ready to go a step further, practices like yoga and tai chi offer physical and mental benefits that extend well beyond stress relief.
If you’re looking for a quick and convenient way to reduce stress and achieve calmer days and better sleep, Truvaga’s handheld vagus nerve stimulators provide a reliable solution. In just two minutes, you can signal your body to return to a “rest-and-digest” state. The Truvaga Plus, recently awarded with the Men’s Health 2025 Tech Award, is rechargeable, app-enabled, and comes with a 30-day risk-free guarantee.
The next time your body responds to stress—whether you’re ready to fight, take flight, freeze, or even fawn—pause and appreciate this remarkable ability to adapt in real-time. But if your stress response starts firing when it shouldn’t, or more often than it should, remember: you have the tools to take action and reclaim balance. This time, the choice is yours.
Sources
[1] Simply Psychology, Fight, Flight, Freeze, Or Fawn: How We Respond To Threats, https://www.simplypsychology.org/fight-flight-freeze-fawn.html
[2] Cleveland Clinic, Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23262-sympathetic-nervous-system-sns-fight-or-flight
[3] Harvard Health Publishing, Understanding the stress response, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response
[4] Harvard Health Publishing, Understanding the stress response, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response
