How Stress and Cortisol Keep You Stuck in Flight Mode

Posted by Morgan Fisher on October 17, 2024

How Stress Can Keep You in Survival Mode

The flight response is one of the body's natural reactions to stress, and while it's useful in dangerous situations, prolonged activation can leave lasting effects on your body and mind. The constant feeling of wanting to escape or avoid triggers is a clear sign that your nervous system is stuck in survival mode. Let’s explore the nature of this response, the reasons behind it, and how you can begin your healing journey using somatic exercises.

Signs of Flight Mode

Many people experience symptoms of the flight response without recognizing it as part of a bigger issue related to stress and trauma. Common signs include:

Restlessness or fidgeting
Overworking or constant busyness
An overwhelming need to escape situations, even if they aren’t physically dangerous
Difficulty focusing or staying present
Trouble sleeping or constant fatigue

These are not random symptoms but rather the body's way of trying to flee or escape a perceived threat. The body, when in flight mode, is fueled by a surge of cortisol and adrenaline, preparing you for action.

How Stress and Cortisol Keep You Stuck in Flight Mode

When your body perceives a threat—whether real or emotional—it triggers a release of cortisol, the "stress hormone." While helpful in short bursts, chronic stress leads to excess cortisol, which can dysregulate your entire nervous system. The constant cycle of stress, followed by the urge to flee, keeps your body in high alert, never allowing it to fully return to a state of rest.

Prolonged exposure to cortisol not only keeps you stuck in the flight response but can also wreak havoc on your overall health, leading to symptoms like anxiety, digestive issues, and emotional overwhelm. The body's fight-or-flight response is supposed to be temporary, but when it’s always activated, it becomes harmful.

How Somatic Exercises Help Release Stored Trauma

The key to healing from the flight response lies in releasing stored trauma from the body. Somatic exercises are powerful tools to help you do just that. These exercises focus on reconnecting your body and mind, allowing you to release pent-up stress and trauma that have been stored in your body.

Somatic exercises not only balance your cortisol but also retrain your body to stay out of survival mode.

Ready to Release Stress and Trauma?

Do you feel like you're stuck in fight or flight mode? Our Release Stress & Stored Trauma Course can help you release the stored trauma from your body: https://theworkoutwitch.com/collections/courses/products/1724602

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