Have you ever felt your heart racing during a high-stakes meeting, or found your mind spinning uncontrollably before a big presentation? If so, you've likely experienced the fight-or-flight response at work. While this physiological reaction is wired into us to help us respond to threats, it doesn’t feel so helpful when we're trying to navigate complex professional situations.

In last week's newsletter, we explored how to overcome the freeze response. This week, we're tackling its equally challenging siblings: fight and flight. Understanding how to recognize and manage these states is crucial for maintaining your leadership presence and making sound decisions under pressure.

For some of us, fight-or-flight arises when we’re meeting our growth edges, and it’s an indicator that we’re stretching our capacity. That can be a good thing – if we know how to manage it. With today’s framework, you’ll learn some tools to use so that your stretching can be productive. Because when we stretch little by little over time, we’ll find that the things that used to send us into fight-or-flight become comfortably doable. And that’s great news!

Here's a framework to help you navigate fight-or-flight responses in the workplace.

How to Manage Fight-or-Flight at Work

Step One: Recognize the Signs

The first step in managing fight-or-flight is recognizing when you're in it. Common signs include:

• Feeling disconnected or not fully present

• Racing thoughts or difficulty concentrating

• Increased heart rate or rapid breathing

• Tension in your muscles, especially shoulders and jaw

• A sense of urgency or impending doom

Action step: Take a moment to check in with your body. Are you experiencing any of these symptoms right now?

Step Two: Apply Containment Techniques

When we're in fight-or-flight, our nervous system needs to feel safe to reorganize itself. In an ideal world, a 30-second hug might do the trick. But since that's not usually an option at work, we can use the principle of "containment" in more subtle ways:

• Find a private space (like a bathroom stall) and lean into the wall. Place one hand on your forehead and press the back of your head against the wall. Focus on the contact points between your body and the wall.

• Sit in your chair and press your feet firmly into the ground. Place your hands on your thighs and apply gentle pressure. Focus on the sensation of being supported by the chair and floor.

• Cross your arms over your chest and give yourself a gentle squeeze. Focus on the pressure and warmth of your own embrace.

Action step: Choose one containment technique and practice it for 30-60 seconds.

Step Three: Delay Problem-Solving

When we're in fight-or-flight, everything feels urgent. However, this is precisely the wrong state from which to make important decisions or solve complex problems.

• Acknowledge the urge to act immediately, but resist it.

• Use phrases like "I need to consider this further" or "Let's revisit this after a short break" to buy yourself time.

• If possible, step away from the situation briefly to apply your containment techniques.

Action step: Identify a recent situation where you felt pressured to make a quick decision. How might you have responded differently knowing what you know now?

Remember, the goal is not to eliminate fight-or-flight responses entirely - they're a normal part of being human. Instead, we're aiming to recognize these states quickly and manage them effectively, allowing us to respond to challenges with clarity and confidence.

One thing to ask yourself:

"What situations at work tend to trigger my fight-or-flight response most often?"

One thing to try:

The next time you feel yourself slipping into fight-or-flight at work, choose one containment technique from step 2 and apply it immediately. Notice how it affects your state of mind and ability to respond to the situation.

Until next week,

Lauren

P.S. Want to dive deeper into understanding and managing your fight-or-flight response? Consider starting a 30-day free trial of the Rooted in Confidence program. You'll gain access to in-depth resources and daily practices designed to help you master your nervous system responses, including fight-or-flight. It's a risk-free way to explore powerful tools for building unshakeable confidence. Click here to start your free trial and transform the way you handle stress at work.