How to Calm Anixety the Natural Way
The fight-flight-freeze response
is your body’s automatic reaction to perceived danger or threat. It’s a built-in survival mechanism designed to protect you, activating whenever you sense that you’re in danger, being threatened, or facing demands that exceed your ability to cope. This response isn’t something you consciously choose—it's an instinctive, unconscious process that prepares your body to react quickly to potential harm.
What’s particularly interesting is that this response isn’t only triggered by real, immediate threats. It can also be activated by how we think about situations. Our minds are so powerful that simply worrying about future events, dwelling on past experiences, or imagining stressful scenarios—like speaking in public—can activate the same stress response as if the threat were physically present.
When this stress response is activated frequently or over long periods, it can lead to nervous system dysregulation. This means the body gets stuck in a heightened state of alertness, which can cause ongoing anxiety, persistent worry, sleep disturbances, and other internal imbalances. Over time, chronic stress of this kind can negatively affect both your mental and physical health.
Please see this video for more information on Fight- Flight- Freeze
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEHwB1PG_-Q
What Happens in the Brain During Fight, Flight, or Freeze?
When you sense danger—real or imagined—your brain and body respond automatically. This is known as the fight, flight, or freeze response, a survival mechanism designed to protect you from harm. Here’s how it works, step by step.
1. Amygdala Activation: The Alarm System
The amygdala, a part of the brain involved in processing emotions like fear and anxiety, is the first to respond. When it detects a potential threat, it quickly sends signals to the rest of the brain to prepare your body for action.
2. Stress Hormones Are Released
The amygdala alerts the hypothalamus, which activates the sympathetic nervous system. This leads to the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These chemicals fuel your body's immediate reaction to danger.
3. Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Increase
Adrenaline causes your heart rate and blood pressure to rise. This ensures your muscles get more oxygen and energy, helping you respond faster—whether you need to fight, run, or freeze.
4. Blood Flow Is Redirected
Your body shifts blood away from areas it doesn’t need in a crisis—like your digestive system—and sends it to your muscles and vital organs. This improves your strength and speed for quick action.
5. Heightened Alertness
With more blood and oxygen going to your brain, your senses become sharper. You’re more aware of your environment, and your body becomes extremely alert to any signs of threat.
6. Thinking Becomes Impaired
Although this response helps you survive, it can make clear thinking difficult. High levels of cortisol may reduce memory, attention, and focus. Your brain zeroes in on the threat, making it harder to make calm, rational decisions.
7. Emotions Become More Intense
This heightened state can cause strong emotional reactions, such as fear, panic, anger, or aggression. You may become more defensive or reactive in how you behave.
Final Thought: Why Regulation Matters
The fight, flight, or freeze response is natural and protective, but when it's triggered too often or stays active too long, it can take a toll on your mental and physical health. Learning stress management techniques can help calm your nervous system, improve your thinking, and reduce the emotional impact of stress.
Here are six ways you could regulate your nervous system at home
1. Deep Breathing
· Practice slow, deep breaths (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 6–8).
· Try diaphragmatic breathing—focus on expanding your belly, not your chest.
· Use breathing apps or guides like box breathing or 4-7-8 technique.
2. Grounding Techniques
· Engage your senses using the 5-4-3-2-1 method (5 things you see, 4 you feel, etc.).
· Touch or hold an object with texture to stay connected to the present.
· Stand barefoot on grass, sand, or natural ground to reconnect physically.
3. Gentle Movement
· Take a slow walk, especially in nature, to lower cortisol and clear your mind.
· Try yoga, tai chi, or stretching to release physical tension.
· Move your body regularly—even 10–15 minutes can reset your system.
4. Soothing Sounds or Music
· Listen to calming music, nature sounds, or binaural beats.
· Try guided meditations or sound baths for nervous system regulation.
· Use noise-canceling headphones to block overwhelming environments.
5. Sunlight and Natural Light
· Spend 10–20 minutes outside daily, preferably in the morning.
· Open curtains or sit near a window to increase natural light exposure.
· Light helps balance your circadian rhythm, improving mood and sleep.
6. Nourishment and Hydration
· Drink enough water—dehydration can worsen anxiety symptoms.
· Eat balanced meals with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs.
· Include calming nutrients like magnesium (leafy greens), omega-3s (fish/flax), and B vitamins.
Please see Minds’s self care for anxiety: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/self-care/
How Hypnotherapy can help reduce the fight-flight system?
Hypnotherapy helps reduce the fight or flight response by guiding the mind and body into a deeply relaxed state, which naturally calms the nervous system and lowers stress levels. Through a combination of positive talking therapy and hypnosis, it allows individuals to explore and address the root causes of stress, anxiety, or trauma that trigger this automatic response. In particular Hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy supports lasting change by encouraging a forward-looking, goal-oriented mindset while integrating techniques like relaxation, visualization, and positive suggestions. These tools not only ease anxious thoughts but also help build resilience, emotional regulation, and a greater sense of control in challenging situations.
If hypnotherapy can do this, just picture how relaxed you can be able to feel