Your Brain’s Emergency Kit: The 5 Crisis Responses
A review of the 5 crisis responses for quick reference.
When danger—whether real or imagined—shows up, your body has one priority: keep you safe. These automatic reactions aren’t choices you consciously make; they’re survival instincts hardwired into your nervous system.
Understanding them helps you recognize what’s happening in the moment—and gives you tools to move through it instead of getting stuck.
Let’s explore the five crisis responses and how to work with them in real time.
1. The FIGHT Response
Your mind says, “I can overpower this threat!” What it feels like in your body and mind is your heart racing, tight muscles, jaw clenching, hot flashes, a loud voice, or the urge to yell, argue, or hit. The behavior that it looks like is getting aggressive or defensive, snapping at others, setting harsh boundaries, or being quick to anger or rage.
To work through it, there are a few things you can do. The first is to ground yourself. You can do this by planting your feet on the floor and clenching and releasing your fists three times. You can also breathe long, steady breaths to slow your heart rate. This looks like inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 4 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. This signals safety to the nervous system. Finally, to ground yourself, you can pause before reacting. Say to yourself, “I need a minute to think,” and step away if you can.
2. The FLIGHT Response
Your mind tells you, “I need to escape this threat!” In your body and mind, you feel restlessness, racing thoughts, the urge to fidget or run, anxiety or panic, or tunnel vision. You behave by overworking, staying busy nonstop, avoiding calls or emails, leaving situations abruptly, or distracting yourself with busyness.
You can work through the flight response by moving with intention. Channel your energy into a brisk walk or quick jumping jacks. You can anchor your senses by naming 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, and 3 things you hear. You can also set a small boundary for yourself. Instead of total avoidance, send that one email or make that one call, and then take a break.
3. The FREEZE Response
In this response, the thought is, “I can’t move—maybe it won’t notice me!” What it feels like in the mind and body is numbness, heaviness, or stiffness. There could be a drop in heart rate or difficulty making eye contact. There may also be a sense of dread. The behavior includes zoning out or procrastinating, feeling “stuck’ or unable to decide, emotional flatness, or disconnection.
The way to work through this freeze response is to start small. Wiggle your toes, shake your arms, or roll your shoulders. Use temperature to help by holding an ice cube, splashing cold water on yourself, or sipping a cold drink.
4. The FAWN Response
In this response, the mind thinks, “If I appease the threat, maybe it will go away!” In the body and mind, this feels like over-prioritizing others’ needs, fear of conflict or reflection, guilt for having your own needs met, or struggling to say “no.” The behavior looks like people-pleasing, over-apologizing, hiding your true feelings, or constantly trying to fix others’ moods.
To work through this, you can use the pause rule. When asking for something, say, “I’ll check and get back to you in 15 minutes.” Practice a safe “no” by declining something small (like an extra condiment) to build your boundary muscle. Finally, you can re-orient yourself inward by closing your eyes and asking yourself, “What do I need right now?” and then validating yourself in having those needs and ensuring they get met.
5. The FLOP Response (Nervous System Collapse)
In this response, the thought is, “It’s over—I can’t handle any more, so I’ll shut down.” The body muscles go limp, there is extreme exhaustion, fainting or blacking out, and possibly emotional numbness. The behavior includes dissociation or mental fog, hopelessness, inability to respond, and “playing dead” mentally or physically. In the mind, you are foggy in thought, with no real direction of focus.
The way to work through this response is to find safety. If you feel faint, lie down with your legs elevated. Orient yourself by repeating grounding facts: “My name is ______. Today is _____. I’m safe right now.” Engage your senses. Smell peppermint oil, taste a sour candy, or use another strong sensory cue.
Final Thought
None of these responses are failures. They are proof that your nervous system is working hard to protect you.
By learning to notice your pattern and practicing real-time tools, you can move through these states with more self-compassion and regain a sense of control.
Written by Mary Kidd, LPC Associate; Supervised by Jenai Tidwell- LPC Supervisor. To book an appointment, click here!
