What Is Your Stress Response?

Raise your voice right back Leave the room immediately Go blank and say nothing Try to calm them down and make peace

Work even harder and push through aggressively Take on extra projects to stay busy and distracted Feel paralyzed and unable to start Ask everyone what they need from you first

Confront the issue head-on, sometimes aggressively Start pulling away and planning your exit Shut down emotionally and disconnect Become extra accommodating to fix things

Not being strong or assertive enough Not doing or achieving enough Being broken, stuck, or hopeless Not being likable or pleasing enough

Taking charge and barking orders Already three steps ahead with an escape plan Deer in headlights — seemingly absent Checking if everyone else is okay first

Tenses up — clenched jaw, fists, ready to act Gets restless — heart racing, need to move Goes numb — brain fog, heavy limbs, dissociation Becomes hyper-aware of others moods and needs

Control — managing situations and people Distraction — busyness, scrolling, substances Withdrawal — sleeping, isolating, zoning out People-pleasing — making sure everyone likes you

Being tough and standing up for yourself Being productive and proving your worth through achievement Becoming invisible and making yourself small Being the peacemaker and reading the room perfectly

Angry and disrespected Relieved — now you can do something else Nothing — you go blank about it Worried you did something wrong

Power struggles and intense arguments Keeping busy to avoid deep emotional intimacy Emotional numbness or feeling like a spectator in your own life Losing yourself trying to keep your partner happy

Defensiveness — you argue or counterattack Anxiety — you spiral into self-improvement mode Blankness — you cannot process it in the moment Apologize immediately, even if you are not sure you were wrong

Controlling your anger and intensity Slowing down and sitting with your feelings Feeling alive and present in your daily life Saying no and setting boundaries

Scream, hit something, or confront the source Run away and start fresh somewhere new Disappear completely — just cease to exist for a while Make everyone happy so the tension stops

Aggressive, controlling, or intense Busy, restless, or avoidant Passive, withdrawn, or checked out Nice, accommodating, or self-sacrificing

Being powerful, respected, and in control Being productive, successful, and impressive You struggle to feel worthy at all Being needed, helpful, and approved of by others

Anger that feels disproportionate to the situation Anxiety that drives you to constant action Emptiness or emotional numbness Guilt and fear of disappointing others