5 Signs Your Nervous System Is Stuck in Fight-or-Flight Mode

Chronic stress doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it shows up quietly—through your sleep, energy, emotions, or even your relationships. When your nervous system remains in a prolonged fight-or-flight state, your body stays “on alert,” as if danger is always around the corner.

Below are five of the most common signs your system may be stuck in survival mode, along with insights from trauma-informed, somatic, and evidence-based psychology.

1. Persistent Anxiety and Hypervigilance

Your mind is constantly scanning for threats, even when nothing is wrong. You may feel “on edge,” easily startled, or braced for impact. Hypervigilance is a classic indicator that your sympathetic nervous system is overactivated and unable to shift back into rest-and-digest mode.

High-ranking keywords: chronic anxiety, hypervigilance symptoms, nervous system dysregulation

2. Difficulty Relaxing or Slowing Down

If sitting still feels uncomfortable or you feel guilty when you rest, your body might be wired for constant activity. Fight-or-flight makes stillness feel unsafe, pushing you into productivity, perfectionism, or emotional avoidance.

High-ranking keywords: inability to relax, stress response system, somatic stress symptoms

3. Physical Tension and Unexplained Body Symptoms

A dysregulated nervous system often shows up in the body. You might notice tense shoulders, jaw clenching, stomach issues, headaches, or a tight chest. These sensations are signals—not weaknesses—letting you know your body is carrying more stress than it can release.

High-ranking keywords: somatic anxiety symptoms, tension in the body, chronic stress effects

4. Emotional Reactivity and Irritability

You may notice that small things set you off or that your emotional reactions feel bigger than the situation. When the nervous system is dysregulated, your capacity to self-regulate decreases. This can show up as irritability, anger, or emotional overwhelm.

High-ranking keywords: emotional regulation difficulties, trauma response, fight-or-flight symptoms

5. Trouble Sleeping or Waking Up Exhausted

Even when you sleep, your body may not fully rest. A system stuck in fight-or-flight struggles to shift into deeper states of repair. You might experience racing thoughts at night, shallow rest, or waking up tired despite a full night’s sleep.

High-ranking keywords: sleep and anxiety, nervous system stuck, chronic fatigue and stress

Why Your Nervous System Gets “Stuck”

Long-term stress, unresolved trauma, childhood conditioning, medical issues, and high-pressure environments can all keep the sympathetic nervous system activated. When this becomes chronic, the body forgets how to return to safety. This is not your fault—it is your biology protecting you the best way it knows how.

How Healing Happens

The good news is that the nervous system can be rewired. With the right tools, support, and therapeutic approaches, your body can learn how to shift out of survival mode and into a grounded, regulated state.

Evidence-based modalities like somatic therapy, EMDR, breathwork, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and nervous system education help your body feel safe again and build resilience over time.

High-ranking keywords: nervous system healing, somatic therapy, trauma-informed therapy, emotional regulation tools

What Working With Me Feels Like

Clients often share that our work together feels grounding, safe, and deeply supportive. My approach blends somatic awareness, trauma-informed practices, and gentle nervous system regulation tools that meet you exactly where you are. In sessions, we slow things down, connect with your body’s cues, and explore what your system needs to feel safe again.

You won’t be pushed or rushed. Instead, you’ll feel guided with warmth, clarity, and steady support. Over time, you’ll notice more calm, more spaciousness, and more confidence in your ability to move through life without being held hostage by stress or overwhelm.

If you’re ready to understand your body’s signals and begin healing at the nervous system level, I’m here to walk that path with you.