08/28/2025
Regulating your (NS) is all about helping your body:
- - Shift out of or “fight-flight-freeze” mode – when your sympathetic NS is in charge – and back into calm and balance – when your parasympathetic NS takes over.
- -Ease physical stress responses so your mind & body feel safe, steady, and able to function well.
Did you know that when fight/flight mode is ON... executive functions are OFF? That means it’s harder to:
🌀 Think clearly – your mind feels foggy or stuck in a loop.
📅 Plan ahead – even simple tasks feel overwhelming.
🤔 Make decisions – you second-guess everything or freeze up.
⏳ Manage time – you lose track of priorities or procrastinate.
❤️ Regulate emotions – you snap, withdraw, or feel flooded.
💡 Problem-solve creatively – flexible thinking goes offline.
📝 Remember details – names, deadlines, or instructions slip away.
🗣️ Communicate well – words don’t come out the way you want.
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That’s because in fight/flight (I call it F5 Mode since there are 3 other possible responses!) the body and mind react with INSTINCT to immediate threats. There’s no time to “make a plan, gather resources, and respond thoughtfully” when a tiger 🐅 is chasing you!
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These days, tigers aren’t usually the threat… but modern life throws other “tigers” our way:
💼 Work pressures – deadlines, being put on the spot, critical feedback.
📱 Technology overload – constant pings, IMs, doomscrolling bad news.
💳 Financial stress – surprise bills, worrying about debt.
🤝 Relationship conflict – arguments that feel threatening to belonging.
🎤 Public exposure – presentations, posting online, speaking in groups.
🔄 Uncertainty & change – job loss, transitions, waiting on results.
🚗 Traffic & commutes – being cut off, running late in gridlock.
👨👩👧 Parenting challenges – toddler meltdowns, teen door-slams.
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✅One of the EASIEST & most EFFECTIVE ways to TURN OFF F5 mode and re-activate executive functions is with deep breathing. It can calm your NS in minutes!
👉 HOW: Inhale deeply through your nose, into your belly (not chest), letting it rise → exhale fully, letting your belly fall. Repeat until your breath is even and you feel calm.
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Other techniques to try:
- - Box Breathing – Inhale 4 → Hold 4 → Exhale 4 → Hold 4.
- - 4-7-8 Breathing – Inhale 4 → Hold 7 → Exhale 8.
