Fight or Flight, The Fox and George Costanza

This summer, while enjoying a backyard barbecue with friends, the neighborhood fox ran through the yard.  The first thing I did was scream……then run inside…….by myself……leaving my kids outside in the “perceived” danger.  While it was a laughable moment, there was some shame and guilt associated with the fact that I fled, instead of protecting my kids and leading them to safety.  It became perfectly clear that my stress response is “flight” rather than “fight.”

My husband started calling me Costanza, in reference to the episode in Seinfeld where George Costanza pushed away old people and kids during a fire to keep himself safe.  The hilarious clip is linked here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TuEWtXBT_0

Fight or Flight

The fight-or-flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived threat to survival, attack or harmful event.  From an evolution standpoint, the fight-or-flight response was instinctual for survival.  The stress response was critical for cavemen assessing real danger in the wild, but that automatic response system, comprised of two neural pathways – the sympathetic and parasympathetic system – doesn’t bode well for us anymore in today’s society, although it’s still automatic.  When a stress trigger happens, sitting in traffic, worrying about finances,  conflicts at work– our neurotransmitters fire up and go into overdrive and our habitual patterns of responding kick-in, which may not always be positive or productive.

However, when our fight or flight response is stimulated by everyday stressors, it can take a toll on our physical health and emotional health.  When we are always in “survival” mode, our body is in overdrive.  For example, your heart beats faster allowing more blood flow to parts of the body it thinks needs it more, taking away blood flow to other parts of your body, such as digestion or bladder.  These two functions may weaken because they aren’t deemed as important for survival.   We may have shortness of breath, light-headedness or excessive sweating, as well as difficulty with rational thinking, which can contribute to anxiety and depression.

Taming your Inner "Costanza"

However, there are a number of ways to rebuild a healthy fight-or-flight response.

1. Exercise has been shown to release neurotransmitters that reduce stress hormones and adrenaline that is common in fight-or-fight responses.  Researchers have also found that regular workouts help people prone to anxiety and worry become less likely to panic or flee when they experience fight-or-flight sensations.
2. Singing or chanting a favorite word or phrase can help reduce flight-or-flight reactions and elicit a more relaxed response.
3. Take calming breaks to reduce stress responses – such as going for a short walk, redirect to more purposeful and meaningful activities or spend time with loved ones, being present fully.
4. Mindfulness has been shown to strengthen the pre-frontal cortex – the part of the brain that is responsible for high-order reasoning, allowing you to pause and assess situations, instead of react. Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware, nonjudgementally, to your thoughts and emotions and is cultivated through meditation, deep breathing and cognitive awareness.  Researchers have studied those who have participated in an 8-week Mindfulness class and, through MRI scans, have found that participants’ fight-or-flight center – the amygdala- shrinks, and the pre-front cortext thickens.

While our fight-or-flight response is necessary for survival, it isn’t always the best use our biological systems.  Finding ways to lessen those reactions or even retraining them can be helpful for your overall emotional health and reducing our inner "Costanza."

If you are interested in learning more about our 8-week Mindfulness class, please contact Erin Swinson at eswinson@claritynwi.com.

Erin Swinson, LMHCA, LPC
Clarity Clinic