The Fight or Flight ResponseThe fight or flight response is your body's natural response to stress. However, it can sometimes be a poor response to today’s daily stress which require good decision making and concentration. Imagine you are walking home one night late from work, and you turn down a narrow lane. Walking down the narrow lane a shadow passes over you and frightens you. When you perceive a threat, your body immobilizes resources to either fight the event causing ‘stress’ or to run away from the thing causing the stress. This fight or flight response of the body results in two messages being sent, one a quick message and another more slower message.
The quick message from the brainIn the fight or flight response, a quick message is sent to the amygdala.
The amygdala responds by activating the sympathetic nervous system and inhibiting the parasympathetic nervous system. At the same time, hormones epinephrine and nor-epinephrine (adrenalin and nor-adrenalin) are released into the blood stream. These result in stress symptoms such as:
The main purpose is that your body diverts resources away from bodily maintenance to high alert and preparedness for ‘fight or flight’. While such a bodily response may be appropriate when about to be attacked by a grizzly bear, a tiger, or the knife wielding person in the lane; it is an inappropriate response to much of the stress we encounter in modern life. The slow message from the brainIn the meantime, the slower message reaches the cerebral cortex, which appraises the situation.If the situation is considered non-dangerous - it was not a knife wielding attacker but the shadow of a streetlight - an 'all clear' signal is sent and the response is reduced. If the situation is appraised as dangerous, a fear signal will be sent and the initial response will be increased. However, the problem arises when you daily stressors constantly trigger your stress response. This means that you are constantly on alert, and too much stress for too long can result in poorer health. ConclusionThere are few situations in working life, or in the performance domain, where such a response is optimal. Taking a final exam requires sitting in a chair, not running away from an enemy.The focus on survival generally results in poorer decisions and concentration; the very things that help you to effectively be successful at work, sport and in your personal relationships. In the short term it is important to manage the ‘fight or flight’ response. A key step to take in coping with stress is knowing what causes you stress. Use this time management tool to identify your causes and how you react to stress. If you want to see how your personality influences the way you cope with stress, then click here. Relaxation techniques such as meditation and breathing exercises or self-hypnosis can help to counter the negative effects of stress on your body. In the long-term, stress management helps to reduce fatigue and burnout, and promote wellness and health.
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