3 min
7 min

Anxiety: Getting Out of Flight or Fight

3 Min
Life Coaching
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Shelley Barker
Health & Life Coach
It's easy to get overwhelmed by anxiety. But understanding the underlying causes - our fight or flight mechanism, and how to manage it, can release us from anxiety and bring us a happier, calmer existence.
From the community
30 reflections
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IsaacM
Fight or Flight
it is bad to have fight or flight in many things so feel calm always and don’t stress
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Alexandra
Important
It’s good to know when your very stressed so you can do something about it and this is a great audio for calming down and realizing there will always be something after.
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Caroline
This didn’t help
This didn’t help This didn’t help This didn’t help This didn’t help
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Jane
Understanding
I feel pressure and stress constantly and have now realized that I need to take at least a few seconds for myself.
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Kelsey
Anxiety
I have been in an anxious episode for nearly 4 days and I can’t see the light on the other side. This app gives me a few moments of clarity.
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Tiffany
Understanding anxiety
Anxiety is the one thing in my life I feel like I can not overcome. However, after meeting so many others that deal with the same issue I understand it’s not a burden but something I work on every single day. I constantly find myself in flight or fight situations throughout my day. I am learning the importance of avoiding these situations, taking a deep breath, and telling myself everything is going to be okay.
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Christina
Being aware of my anxiety
Knowing when you are in fight or flight mode in any circumstance can help bring stress down. It’s not beneficial to me if I’m in that mode all day long. I need to learn and be aware when I’m in this mode and calm down. I realize that my ptsd (post dramatic stress disorder) plays a part in my anxiety. Most stay aware.
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Mohsen
Come back to your world
You must be know the must incredible thing all of experience that’s your self
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Lexie
Fight or flight
I learned that my anxiety is caused by being in a constant state of fight or flight. Understanding what’s going on in my mind and body gives me insight on how to relax myself through meditation, calming exercises, etc.
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Anne
Anxiety
I have been having severe panic attacks this past month. The last time I had them was 6 years ago when I was 23. I am practicing mindfulness and learning to take care of myself. Sometimes I get anxious of just experiencing the panic again. I really feel like I’m going to die. Aura has really helped me. I listen every morning and throughout the day when I feel down. I haven’t had a panic attack since last Monday and have had the ability to talk myself down using this app and breathing techniques. I hope everyone is doing well. It’s easier to know that others experience the same. Even though I hate that for you. I hope everyone has a great weekend
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Naya
Good
For the last several months I have been suffering from a few hearing disorders that have caused me a lot of anxiety and panic. I am now taking medication for anxiety and doing much better. I want to drop it as soon as possible, I believe that the techniques I’ve been learning here will be very useful for my goal.
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Sarah
Just relax they tell me...
I’m always being told to “relax” without any guidelines for HOW to relax. We can’t just turn on and off. This meditation is a good way to turn words into action.
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Rich
Work in Progress
I find that I am rarely, if ever, at ease. Even when I am “relaxing” there is some level of anxiety or unease, like an app constantly running in the background. I’ve been practicing mindfulness for over two years and I am not sure if it is making any difference or if I am making any progress. My goal is to be at peace, without worry, regret, insecurity, and anxiousness. I hope to achieve this in my life. I will keep going.
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Julie
Understanding Anxiety
We have two modes in our body...parasympathetic nervous system which is our normal state and our sympathetic system which is our fight or flight response. Our fight or flight response activates when we feel a threat. It can cause long term damage to our health when we are continuously in a fight or flight state. Shelley recommends healthy exercise and meditation or conscious breathing to help bring you back to a normal state. Then she teaches you a breathing technique called alternate nostril breathing which you can use at anytime to reactivate your parasympathetic nervous system. Great life coaching session.
WJ
Walter J
Breathing...
The first most basic thing we all need to do to stay alive... Breathe!! When we get anxious, we tend to breathe shallow & that helps put us in a more sympathetic mode. So breathing deep can counter that. Adding the alternative nostril technique makes it even better by distracting your brain. Great technique! Try it, you’ll like it! ❤️👍🏼🍀
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Maya
I started to relax and release ...
I learned that I cannot handle constant stress like I’ve been under and survive, let alone thrive....
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Kat
Exercise away that stress
When you have too much stress, going for a long walk or run helps clear out a lot of concerns that cloud the mind.
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Jasen
This was awesome
Wow that breathing exercise really worked. I loved this!! I am going to incorporate this message and breathing exercise into my daily routine when I feel anxious. Thank you
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Natasha
This felt helpful
I liked this one! I didn’t even notice that I wasn’t calm until I did this and remembered how calm felt
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Citi
Mixed emotions
I learned that I’d rather avoid getting angry and saying things I don’t mean.
Bw
Badass warrior
I felt better after this exercise .
After crying so much in the beginning from sadness and anxiety , as I did the breathing and my heart felt calm and I stopped crying 😢
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Liesl
Getting out of Fight or Flight
Chronic, low-level stress is much healthier and more natural than calm interspersed with periodic moments of high stress. The way our lives are structured today make the first option much more likely. However, if one can recognize the chronic stress and endeavor to “turn it off”, one can usually succeed based on the fact that recognition of being in fight-or-flight mode is the easiest way to calm down. Reminding yourself that a racing heart and sweaty palms are natural bodily responses to a stressor and that they will go away soon allows the mind to calm, stopping the feedback loop.
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William
First real session
I learned that I can actually help myself calm down. I have a hard time once anxiety sets in and it exhausts me. This exercise is something I can do easily to help turn off that response in my body.
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Fred
Breath work
My mind was completely focused on doing the exercise and it allowed me to relax and calm
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Richard
It worked 🙏😊❤️
Alternate nostril breath work released my thinking!!! I feel calmer and much more at ease with my current overthinking
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Jennifer
Anxiety/Fight or Flight
Alternate breathing with both nostrils worked. It can be used anytime you need it. It keeps you busy while doing it so you aren't thinking about anything else. Anxiety gone!
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Andy
It helped me
I was sceptical but definitely helped me refocus and calm, I think focusing on having to do something different works for me
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Joyce
Acknowledge Fight or Flight
Abrupt ending but great info and practice. Next time I go into Fight or Flight I want to acknowledge it, stop, reset, and re-face whatever I am facing again but without fight or flight turned on, then see what happens. Time will tell if I can do it, but I’ll consider each a practice. Thanks and namaste
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Ludovic
Acknowledging my state of anxiety
It’s always good to find out more about what causes me to feel so unwell when I am anxious. I want to be able to overcome these feelings and focus on positives.
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Timmy
Anxiety
Learned a little more about anxiety and final flight, and a breathing exercise on how to help it