A practical map of how stress activates — and a tool for resetting, whatever direction you're running.
The three zones
Green · 0–2
Activated but flexible. Your window of tolerance. Maintain steadiness and stay values-aligned.
Orange · 3
Warning threshold. Escalation is possible. Pause, interrupt, and downshift before it tips.
Red · 4–5
Survival mode. Reflective capacity is limited. Don't problem-solve — contain first, then recover.
The four responses
Fight
confront · control
Anger, urgency, the need to win or correct. At low levels: assertive clarity. At high: hostility and damage.
Flight
escape · avoid
Restlessness, busyness, avoidance. At low levels: healthy space-setting. At high: impulsive exits.
Freeze
shutdown · numb
Stillness, stuckness, emotional dulling. At low levels: calm pause. At high: dissociation.
Fawn
appease · perform
People-pleasing, over-explaining, self-erasure. At low levels: genuine warmth. At high: voice disappears.
Key insight
Level first, axis second. In the moment, the fastest win is reducing intensity — moving inward on the scale — before trying to understand which direction your response is taking you.
About fawn
Fight, flight, and freeze are well-established responses. Fawn — appeasement and performance under threat — is a more recent understanding, emerging from trauma research. It can be hard to spot in yourself because it looks prosocial. But the cost accumulates at every level above zero.
Tap-to-open details
Where are you right now?
Tap the colour that best matches your current state. Keep it simple.
Tip: Add this page to your home screen for one-tap access.
Do this now: Green
Keep it simple.
Stay steady.
Take one slow breath (longer exhale).
Continue with your next small step.
Reset timer
Stay with the steps until it ends.
01:00
If you're in Red, don't solve problems here — just reduce intensity.
Are you back in Green?
If not, repeat one more 60-second cycle. If still Red, choose safety and support.
Safety first.
Step away from the situation (even briefly).
Lower stimulation (quiet, water, slow walk, breathe out long).
Contact someone safe or go to a structured support space.