Lesson 3
Fight or Flight
Increase your own heartbeat! Take your pulse for 10 seconds.
(Your teacher will show you how!)
Write down the number of times your heart beats in 10 seconds.
Now do fast jumping jacks for one minute.
Take your pulse again. How much did it increase?
Pulse before exercise Pulse after exercise
___________
___________
Marvin the Mouse says: I get what they call a fight or flight response
when I see a cat. For me, a cat is scary! When I see a cat, most of the
blood in my body goes to my big muscles, my legs, so that I can run or
fight – but cats are too big to fight! My heartbeat increases, and
sometimes my stomach feels funny. Sometimes I feel shaky and dizzy.
When you feel threatened you will have the same things happen. This is the fight or flight
response. It is your body getting ready to fight or to run away.
A lot of people get scared of the emotions and the fight or flight response that goes with
feeling threatened. Not me! Not Marvin the Mouse! I know that I need this response so I
can decide if I should fight or run away. I also know that I can control the fight or flight
response. Here are some ideas to do that!
1. Take ten deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
2. Think about the facts.
3. Let your teacher lead you through a relaxation exercise.
Class Discussion
What is the difference between increasing your heart rate with exercise and
increasing it with the Fight or Flight Response?
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Lesson Three: Fight or Flight – Elementary School Handout
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Lesson 3
Fight or Flight
The phrase “Fight or Flee Reaction” (also called “Fight or Flight Response”) was created by
W.R Hess in the 1930’s. He discovered, while stimulating the brain of a cat (yech!), that we
have a physical reaction to feeling threatened. Our bodies have more adrenaline and
noradrenaline (hormones) during those times. Our blood goes primarily to our larger muscles
to get us ready to run or to fight. Our heads might get a little fuzzy and we might say things
that we don’t really mean. Our hearts beat faster, we might feel a little bit dizzy or our
muscles might get more tense or sore.
When you have a Fight or Flight Response, you may become aggressive or passive. You’ll have
heard those terms by now, and you will talk about them more in the next lessons.
People are often afraid of how their bodies feel when they are in the Fight or Flight
Response. They think that they have to do something to make the Fight or Flight Response
stop, but they don’t know what to do. So they lash out in an angry way, or they give in.
Here are some other ways to control the Fight or Flight response.
1. Take ten deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
2. Think about the facts. You are going to learn a balanced thinking exercise that will help
you manage the Fight or Flight response.
3. Do a relaxation exercise.
Research:
Hormones – Adrenaline – Noradrenaline
Think About:
When was the last time you felt the fight or flight response?
What was happening during that time?
What do you remember your body feeling like?
What were some thoughts that you had?
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Lesson Three: Fight or Flight – Middle School Handout
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Lesson 3
Fight or Flight
“Should I stay or Should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I stay there will be trouble
and if I go it will be double.
So c’mon and let me know, should I stay or should I go?
The Clash
The “Fight or Flee Reaction” (also fight or flight) was created by W.R. Hess in the
1930’s. He discovered, while stimulating the brain of a cat, that you have a physical
reaction to feeling threatened. Your body produces more adrenaline and noradrenaline
during those times. Your blood goes primarily to your larger muscles to get you ready
to run or to fight. Your head might get fuzzy and you might say things that you don’t
really mean. You might not even remember what you said. Your heart beats faster, you
might feel a little bit dizzy or your muscles might get more tense or sore.
You need to be able to relax, in order to manage the fight or flight reaction.
1. Quick Physical Relaxation: Quick physical relaxation involves breathing deeply
while tensing and relaxing all of the body’s muscle groups.
2. Guided Meditation: Guided meditation is allowing your body and mind to be
inspired to relaxation by someone else’s words. There are many types of guided
mediation. Someone can read you a passage and you visualize as they read, or
there are many recorded guided mediations for mp3 players. Some suggestions
are found at http://nosuchthingasabully.com. Guided meditation is a good place
to start learning the skill.
3. Self Directed Meditation: This can be difficult, especially for beginners. With self
directed meditation you are sitting quietly with yourself and focusing your mind
on a certain word, or symbol, a “mantra”.
4. Stretching Relaxation: Yoga is an example of stretching meditation. Yoga focuses
your mind on surrendering your muscles to relaxation.
5. Exercise: Exercise is effective for removing excess hormones and balancing your
body. Many types of exercise can be very effective for relaxation.
Try the two minute relaxation exercise as a way to regain calm.
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Lesson Three: Fight or Flight – High School Handout
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Two Minute Relaxation exercise
Sit with your feet on the floor and your back straight.
Lift your toes up in the air keeping your heels on the ground. Hold for 10 counts and let go.
Lift your heels off the floor, leaving your toes on the floor. Hold for 10 counts and let go.
Squeeze your thigh and bum muscles, hold for 10 counts and let go.
Push your shoulders forward, hold for 10 counts and let go.
Push your shoulders backwards, hold for 10 counts and let go.
Tilt you neck to the left, hold for 10 counts and let go.
Tilt your neck to the right, hold for 10 counts and let go.
Tilt your neck to the front, hold for 10 counts and let go.
Tilt your neck to the back, hold for 10 counts and let go.
Squish up the muscles in your face, hold for 10 counts and let go.
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Lesson Three: Fight or Flight – Relaxation Exercise
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