Response Mapping Exercise

Objective: Recall a recent workplace stress event, locate your primary stress response on the stress compass, and reflect on your signals and patterns.

Duration: 15 minutes

Materials Needed: Blank compass diagram, writing utensil or digital annotation tool.

Instructions

1. Describe the Stress Event (2 minutes)
   • Think of a recent moment at work when you felt stressed or overwhelmed.
   • In the space below, write a brief summary of what happened.

1. Map Your Response (3 minutes)
   • On the blank compass diagram provided, place an “X” in the quadrant that best represents your primary reaction (Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn).
   • If you experienced a mix, place small dots in each relevant quadrant and a larger “X” for your dominant response.

[Insert Blank Compass Diagram with quadrants labeled: North=Fight, East=Flight, South=Freeze, West=Fawn]

1. Identify Your Signals (4 minutes)
   • List the physical, emotional, and behavioral signals you noticed during the event.
   • Consider heart rate, thoughts, urges, posture, tone of voice, etc.

• Physical Signals: ____________________________________________

• Emotional Signals: ___________________________________________

• Behavioral Signals: _________________________________________

1. Reflect on Patterns (6 minutes)
   • Looking at this map and your signals, answer the following:
     a. Have you noticed similar stress responses in other situations? Which ones?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     b. What triggers seem to push you toward this quadrant?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     c. When you’re in this response mode, what coping strategies have you tried (effective or not)?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
2. Small-Group Discussion (Optional)
   • In groups of 3–4, share your compass placements and signal patterns.
   • Discuss common triggers and any surprises in your mappings.

Use your insights from this exercise to inform your action plan when practicing coping strategies in the next segment.

Stress Reflection Journal

Icebreaker: Identify Your Personal Stress Signals

1. Physical Signal (e.g., rapid heartbeat, muscle tension):

1. Emotional Signal (e.g., anxiety, frustration):

1. Behavioral Signal (e.g., avoiding tasks, snapping at others):

Reflection: Discovering Your Stress Compass Quadrant

1. Which quadrant resonated most during today’s session? (Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn)

1. What was your biggest insight about how you respond to stress?

Action Plan: Committing to a Coping Strategy

1. Which stress-management strategy from Stress Management Tips will you practice first?

1. When and where will you implement this strategy?

1. How will you measure your progress and hold yourself accountable?

Next Steps & Accountability

Set a time within the next week to revisit these reflections and share your experience with a colleague or peer support partner.

Stress Management Tips

Use these targeted coping strategies to address each primary stress response quadrant. Each section includes rationale, step-by-step practice guidance, and facilitator notes to support implementation.

North – Fight Response (Confrontation Energy)

Common Signals: Increased heart rate, clenched jaw, heated tone.

Strategy 1: Mindful Pause

• Why it works: Interrupts the adrenal surge and creates space for choice.
• How to practice:
  1. Notice the tightening in your body (jaw, fists, chest).
  2. Inhale slowly for 4 seconds, hold for 2, exhale for 6.
  3. Repeat until your heart rate stabilizes.
• Facilitator Notes: Model a breathing cycle aloud. Invite participants to share how many rounds it took to feel calmer.

Strategy 2: Ground-and-Name Technique

• Why it works: Labels emotion, reducing amygdala reactivity.
• How to practice:
  1. Pause and look around you.
  2. Name one thing you see, one thing you hear, one thing you feel.
  3. Acknowledge the urge to push back, then decide your next step.
• Facilitator Notes: Provide a one-minute guided demonstration. Encourage journaling of sensations and observations.

Strategy 3: Physical Release (Safe Channeling)

• Why it works: Converts excess energy into movement, preventing explosive outbursts.
• How to practice:
  1. Stand and do 10 wall push-ups or march in place vigorously for 30 seconds.
  2. Notice how your muscles and thoughts shift.
• Facilitator Notes: Emphasize safety and consent. Offer seated alternatives (e.g., hand squeezes with a stress ball).

East – Flight Response (Escape Impulse)

Common Signals: Restlessness, urge to leave, rapid breathing.

Strategy 1: Micro-Break Anchoring

• Why it works: Introduces brief pauses to reduce overwhelm without full withdrawal.
• How to practice:
  1. Set a 2-minute timer on your phone.
  2. Stand, stretch your arms overhead, then do a gentle neck roll.
  3. Return to task with renewed focus.
• Facilitator Notes: Encourage participants to schedule micro-breaks into their digital calendars.

Strategy 2: Safe Space Visualization

• Why it works: Provides an immediate mental refuge, calming the nervous system.
• How to practice:
  1. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
  2. Imagine a place where you feel completely safe and relaxed.
  3. Stay for 30 seconds, breathing evenly.
• Facilitator Notes: Play soft ambient sounds. Invite brief partner shares of chosen mental landscapes.

Strategy 3: Task Chunking

• Why it works: Breaks large tasks into bite-sized pieces, reducing the urge to flee.
• How to practice:
  1. Identify a daunting task at work.
  2. Write down 3 sub-tasks you can complete in 10 minutes each.
  3. Cross off each sub-task as you finish.
• Facilitator Notes: Provide a template of chunked tasks. Model the process with a common workplace example.

South – Freeze Response (Shutdown Reaction)

Common Signals: Numbness, slowed speech, blank mind.

Strategy 1: Progressive Muscle Activation

• Why it works: Stimulates blood flow and neural activity, counteracting immobility.
• How to practice:
  1. Clench your fists tightly for 5 seconds, then release.
  2. Lift your shoulders to your ears, hold, then drop.
  3. Repeat with feet (point toes down/up) if seated.
• Facilitator Notes: Lead participants through each step, pausing for feedback on sensations.

Strategy 2: Five Senses Grounding

• Why it works: Reconnects you to the present moment and interrupts the freeze loop.
• How to practice:
  1. Name 1 thing you can see, 1 you can touch, 1 you can hear, 1 you can smell, 1 you can taste.
  2. Move or reach for the touch item.
• Facilitator Notes: Provide small tactile objects (e.g., stone, stress ball) for tactile engagement.

Strategy 3: Gentle Self-Talk Prompt

• Why it works: Activates the prefrontal cortex by engaging language centers.
• How to practice:
  1. Silently say, “I can take one small step.”
  2. Identify a micro-action (e.g., take one sip of water).
  3. Celebrate that step and repeat.
• Facilitator Notes: Encourage journaling of each micro-step and any shift in mindset.

West – Fawn Response (People-Pleasing Mode)

Common Signals: Overcommitment, frequent apologizing, difficulty saying “no.”

Strategy 1: Assertive ‘I’ Statements

• Why it works: Communicates needs respectfully, reducing internal stress.
• How to practice:
  1. Identify a boundary you need (e.g., time for grading).
  2. Craft an ‘I’ statement: “I need 30 minutes without interruptions to focus on grading.”
  3. Practice saying it aloud with calm tone.
• Facilitator Notes: Role-play common scenarios. Provide sentence stems and positive feedback.

Strategy 2: Boundary Rehearsal

• Why it works: Builds confidence through repetition, making real-world implementation easier.
• How to practice:
  1. Write down one request you commonly accept but want to decline.
  2. In pairs, take turns practicing a polite refusal script.
  3. Debrief: How did it feel to say “no”?
• Facilitator Notes: Emphasize respectful tone. Validate discomfort as normal initial resistance.

Strategy 3: Self-Compassion Break

• Why it works: Counters self-criticism with kindness, reducing the impulse to placate others.
• How to practice:
  1. Place a hand over your heart.
  2. Say silently: “This is a moment of stress. May I be kind to myself.”
  3. Breathe and notice any warmth or softening.
• Facilitator Notes: Introduce the concept of self-compassion. Encourage journaling of feelings before and after the break.

Facilitate exploration of these strategies by guiding participants through at least one practice per quadrant. Encourage them to choose the strategy that aligns with their dominant stress response and to record their reflections in the Stress Reflection Journal.