10 Signs Your Nervous System Is Stuck in Fight-or-Flight
- Christina McHugh
- 18 hours ago
- 4 min read
How Breathwork Can Restore Balance
Recode • Reset • Rise with the Yogic Cowgirl
Modern life places constant demands on the human nervous system.
Work stress, digital overload, emotional strain, and chronic tension can keep the body in a prolonged state of activation.
In physiology this state is often referred to as sympathetic dominance, meaning the body remains stuck in a fight-or-flight response for extended periods.¹
While this stress response is designed to help us survive short-term danger, remaining in this state for long periods can affect sleep, digestion, emotional regulation, and energy levels.
Many people live in this state without realizing it.
Learning to recognize the signs of nervous system dysregulation is the first step toward restoring balance.
What Is the Fight-or-Flight Response?
The fight-or-flight response is controlled by the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system.
When the brain perceives stress or danger, it triggers a cascade of physiological changes designed to prepare the body for action.
These changes include:
• increased heart rate
• rapid breathing
• muscle tension
• heightened alertness
• release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol²
While this response is essential for survival, chronic activation can lead to physical and emotional strain.
10 Signs Your Nervous System May Be Stuck in Fight-or-Flight
1. Chronic Anxiety or Restlessness
Persistent anxiety often reflects a nervous system that remains in a heightened state of vigilance.
The brain continuously scans for potential threats even when none are present.
2. Shallow Chest Breathing
When the body is stressed, breathing often shifts away from the diaphragm and into the upper chest.
This pattern can lead to paradoxical breathing, where the belly pulls inward during inhalation rather than expanding naturally.
(You can learn more about this in the article Paradoxical Breathing: When Your Breath Moves Backwards.)
3. Tight Shoulders and Neck
The accessory breathing muscles located in the neck and shoulders become overactive during stress.
This can lead to chronic tension and stiffness.
4. Racing Thoughts
A nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight often produces a mind that feels constantly active.
Many people describe this as mental overdrive or an inability to “turn off” their thoughts.
5. Digestive Discomfort
The fight-or-flight response suppresses digestion because the body prioritizes survival over nutrient absorption.
This may contribute to symptoms such as:
• bloating
• indigestion
• stomach tension
6. Difficulty Relaxing
Even when there is time to rest, the body may struggle to shift into a relaxed state.
This can make activities like meditation or quiet relaxation feel surprisingly difficult.
7. Poor Sleep Quality
A dysregulated nervous system can interfere with sleep cycles.
Many people report:
• difficulty falling asleep
• waking frequently during the night
• feeling tired despite sleeping
8. Feeling Easily Overwhelmed
When the nervous system remains overstimulated, everyday challenges can feel disproportionately stressful.
9. Frequent Fatigue
Ironically, chronic activation often leads to exhaustion.
The body consumes large amounts of energy when maintaining a prolonged stress response.
10. Difficulty Taking a Deep Breath
Many people with nervous system dysregulation report feeling as if they cannot get a satisfying deep breath.
This often reflects shallow breathing patterns that developed during chronic stress.
How Breathwork Helps Reset the Nervous System
Breathing is unique among bodily functions because it operates both automatically and voluntarily.
This means we can consciously influence the nervous system through breath.
Slow diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, a key component of the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for relaxation and recovery.³
When breathing slows and deepens:
• heart rate begins to slow
• muscles relax
• the brain receives signals of safety
Over time breathwork practices can help retrain the nervous system to move more easily between states of activation and rest.
A Simple Breath Reset Practice
Try this short breathing exercise.
Sit comfortably with your spine upright.
Place one hand on your belly.
Inhale slowly through the nose and allow the belly to expand.
Exhale gently and allow the belly to soften inward.
Continue for three minutes.
Gradually extend the practice to five minutes daily.
The Yogic Cowgirl Perspective
In the Yogic Cowgirl Method™, breath is viewed as a bridge between the body, mind, and nervous system.
When breathing patterns become balanced, many physiological systems begin to recalibrate.
Students often report improvements in:
• stress resilience
• emotional regulation
• sleep quality
• mental clarity
The breath becomes a powerful tool for restoring the body's natural rhythm.
Learn Breathwork in Wickenburg Arizona
Christina Elena McHugh teaches breathwork, Kundalini yoga, and sound healing for nervous system regulation in Wickenburg, Arizona, serving students throughout the Phoenix and Scottsdale area.
Through Kundalini Yoga, breath retraining, and sound healing practices, she helps students:
• regulate the nervous system
• retrain dysfunctional breathing patterns
• release chronic stress and anxiety
• reconnect with the body’s natural rhythms
Explore upcoming breathwork classes and sound baths at:
Recode • Reset • Rise.
References & Footnotes
Sapolsky, Robert. Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. Holt Paperbacks, 2004.
McEwen, Bruce. “Protective and Damaging Effects of Stress Mediators.” New England Journal of Medicine, 1998.
Porges, Stephen. The Polyvagal Theory. W.W. Norton & Company, 2011.
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