A racing heart, words that come out too fast: it’s not a lack of willpower, it’s chemistry.
Freezing, exploding, getting agitated; pleasing, attacking, disappearing: under stress, six autopilots can take control without us noticing. This module teaches you to recognize yours, understand what they protect, and restore dialogue, starting with the body, never the mind.
~20 min at your own paceKey skill: Stress managementAvailable in FR + ENNo prerequisites
What you’ll take away
- a map of the six autopilots that switch on when the pressure rises
- a few simple physical actions to turn off the internal alarm before you try to reason
- the reflex to name what builds up and the right to respond later
Who it’s for
Anyone who wants to keep dialogue open in tense moments and understand themselves better under stress.
Learning objectives
- Understand, using the three-system metaphor, why stress short-circuits thinking and how chemistry explains it.
- Recognize the three survival reactions (paralysis, destruction, frenzy) in yourself and in others.
- Spot the three reflexes of the emotional brain when a relationship is at stake: pleasing others, attacking, fleeing.
- Regain control without blaming yourself: calm the body first, name the emotion, and delay your response.
How does this module work?
The steps of the Adaptive module.
- Self-assessmentOn nine dimensions, to gauge current habits and guide the practice.
- Expert videoA ~10 min video with three pauses for reflection.
- Practice scenariosThe first two scenarios chosen from the self-assessment, then sixteen more, optional. Every answer gets feedback: what it leads to, and one way to improve.
- Dated commitmentOne action to try, written by the learner or chosen from the suggestions.
- Memo to downloadKey takeaways, questions, commitment, personal notes, and checklists.
Duration: ~20 min. Excluding bonus practice scenarios and optional in-depth content.
