02/23/2024
You’ve likely heard of fight, flight, and freeze.
But what about fawn?
If you describe yourself as a “people pleaser,” you’ll likely relate to this concept.
Fawning is a term used with trauma and stress responses, or how we instinctively react to perceived threats and challenges.
The fawn response involves a strong desire to please others, seek approval, and avoid conflict. We tend to prioritize the needs of others over our own, often to an unhelpful extent.
Most of us show fawn responses at times. And healthy coping involves using each of the Four Fs when they’re necessary. After all, these responses are intended to help protect us from danger.
But issues can come up when we become entrenched in repetitive patterns. When we constantly default to habitual reactions even when they’re not serving us well.
I’ve noticed lots of overlap between fawning and perfectionism. While they’re separate concepts, they share some key things in common.
In my latest article, I explain how fawn responses connect with perfectionism. And offer 6 tips on moving away from fawning as a go-to response, so you can more flexibly handle difficult situations.
The fawn response to stress and trauma involves a strong desire to please others. Get 6 tips on moving away from fawning to more flexibly handle difficult situations.
