Source: Erickson Institute

If you want to learn more about how the fight response works, you might want to try out the animal roots of this decisive response to threats in a stressful situation.

Step 1: Think about a past, highly stressful situation that you feel you have not dealt with properly. #

Perhaps you ended up feeling like a victim.

Step 2: Initiate a downtime state. #

Keep your eyes open. Take a deep breath and picture yourself as a powerful wild animal of your choice—anything that strikes you as appealing. Your animal body is a powerful source of physical prowess.

Step 3: Associate into the experience. #

What are the feelings that come to mind?

Step 4: Now get up and walk around the room a few times. #

This animal’s body is moving at a deliberate pace as you play the part, so allow your eyes to narrow to get a sense of all this.

Step 5: What does it feel like to be strong, powerful, and a force not to be reckoned with? #

Anchor the feelings.

Step 6: Break state. #

Step 7: Go back to your seat. #

Take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes.

Step 8: Associate into your chosen wild animal self again. #

Step 9: Imagine that you sense that a different animal is on its way. #

Instinctively, you know that this animal is a formidable opponent, just as you are. You have the distinct impression that this animal intends to harm you in any way it possibly can.

Step 10: Notice how your body’s posture changes. #

Note changes in your breathing. Is there anything else that you notice in your body? If you feel yourself collapsing or shrinking, remember that this is your territory, and you have the right to defend it.

Step 11: What feelings come to mind when you think about defending what you’ve worked hard to earn? #

Step 12: Dissociate from the third perceptual position. #

Fire the anchor. Observe the clear signs of determination and vigor in the areas of your head, neck, shoulders, and facial muscles that you can feel.

Step 13: Return to the first perceptual position. #

Is there any movement or tension in your body? What feelings do you recognize?

Step 14: Fire the anchor. #

Feel the strength emerge in your shoulders, arms, legs, and feet.

Step 15: Finally, get ready to take action against the animal invading your space and attempting to overrule your possessions. #

Fire the anchor again. Observe what happens when you prepare to fight back and protect your vital interests. Stay grounded in your body’s felt sense of your own animal physical prowess by following those sensations and movements. As you get ready to hit, notice how tense your shoulders, arms, and neck become.

Step 16: The animal did not approach, and must have felt your resolve and charismatic power. #

Is there a change in the energy associated with fighting? How, then? Let yourself feel the completion of these sensations as they fade away, for as long as you need to. What does it feel like to reach the end?

Step 17: Break state. #

Step 18: Test Recall the stressful situation from step 1. #

Fire the anchor. What happens to the hurt you’ve been feeling?

Step 19: Future pace. #

Think about a highly likely stressful situation in the future. Dissociate from the second perceptual position. Fire the anchor. Break state. Repeat this step five times.