The effects of adrenaline on the body are quite severe, which is why our emotional system naturally tries to limit when we become adrenalized. One of the most immediate consequences is that of extreme fatigue; anyone who has done any form of military training knows that the best time to counter an attack that has cost them a position is to immediately try and retake that position, as once a person’s adrenal system recognizes that a goal has been accomplished it will put the body into a state of rest and fatigue in order for it to recover from the stresses and strains that this cocktail of hormones places on the body. From my own experiences I know that being constantly adrenalized leads to extreme fatigue and a desire for sleep – one of the jobs that officers in the military have is keeping their soldiers awake during lulls in combat.

You can become adrenalized in a number of ways; the sooner that you recognize what is happening to you the sooner you can start to control and limit the adverse side effects. Breathing is perhaps the most effective way of controlling your emotional state and thus your levels of adrenaline. Tactical Breathing is something that is taught to many law enforcement and military personnel. In its simplest form it involves breathing in for a count, holding for a count, and breathing out for a count e.g. breathe in for a count of 2, hold the breath for a count of 2 and then exhale for a count of 2. Breathing is both an automatic function of the body and one that you can also control, which makes it a unique way to link the conscious with the subconscious, tying your mental appraisal of a situation (being afraid) and altering your emotional response to it (fear).

Being honest with yourself is another way of avoiding becoming adrenalized unnecessarily. Many people become afraid without reason, identifying threats where none occur e.g. if a person sees a group of teenagers wearing hooded tops they may immediately become wary and scared even if nothing about the way these teenagers moved etc indicated a threat. I am always amazed at the way people become aggressive in the anticipation of conflict even when no pre-violence indicators are present. Due to the “Models of Violence” we build, we often see threats and dangers where the y don’t occur and become aggressive and adrenalized without any real cause. The false anticipation of aggression and violence may cause us to become subject to tunnel vision and identify threats and danger where none exist. Often when I am in potentially dangerous situations, or feel my adrenal system go into action (hairs on the back of my neck stand-up, uneasiness in my stomach etc) I relax and let my “body” decide whether there is harmful intent present or not. This honest and natural appraisal prevents me from responding to actions and behaviors that don’t ever actually constitute a threat to my personal safety; this is not the same as trying to down-play a threat or denying that you are in danger.

Most physical confrontations start with a verbal confrontation. One of the things I do when facing or dealing with an aggressive person is to tense and relax my legs, one at a time, over and over in a repetitive manner. Adrenaline “demands” a physical outlet and doing this small physical action is going somewhat to meeting the desire for flight or fight i.e. a physical response. This is something I can do whilst still talking to a person and is basically unnoticeable. It is also letting me get in touch with my body so I can feel my legs working, and not be rooted to the spot should I need to move.

Next week I will talk about how to interpret body language, not somebody else’s but your own, so that you can be more aware of your physical and emotional state.