Trauma Responses in the Workplace
Your trauma response does not clock out when you arrive at work. The same survival patterns that shape your relationships also drive your professional behaviour — often in ways you do not recognise.
Understanding how Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn show up in your career can transform your work life, improve your relationships with colleagues, and help you break patterns that hold you back professionally.
The Fight Response at Work
The fight response at work often shows up as micromanagement, aggressiveness in meetings, difficulty delegating, or a need to dominate decisions. Fight types may be high performers but create toxic environments for colleagues.
Signs at Work
- •Reacting aggressively to feedback or criticism
- •Difficulty collaborating — needs to lead or control
- •Workplace conflicts that escalate quickly
- •Intimidating communication style in emails or meetings
- •Taking over projects and undermining colleagues
💡 The Healthy Alternative
Channel your natural leadership energy into mentoring. Learn to receive feedback as data, not attack. Practice asking "What do you think?" before sharing your opinion.
The Flight Response at Work
The flight response is often rewarded at work — it looks like productivity, ambition, and dedication. But underneath is an inability to slow down, chronic overwork, and using busyness to avoid difficult feelings or conversations.
Signs at Work
- •Working 60+ hour weeks and wearing it as a badge of honour
- •Unable to take holidays without anxiety
- •Perfectionism that delays projects and frustrates teams
- •Avoiding difficult workplace conversations through busyness
- •Burnout cycles — crash, recover, repeat
💡 The Healthy Alternative
Set hard boundaries around work hours. Practice leaving tasks at "good enough." Schedule regular breaks and actually take your holiday time. Your worth is not your output.
The Freeze Response at Work
The freeze response at work manifests as difficulty speaking up in meetings, decision paralysis, procrastination, and a tendency to become invisible. Freeze types may be underestimated despite having valuable insights.
Signs at Work
- •Going blank in meetings when asked for input
- •Procrastinating on important tasks due to overwhelm
- •Difficulty advocating for promotions or raises
- •Zoning out during high-pressure situations
- •Avoiding leadership opportunities
💡 The Healthy Alternative
Prepare talking points before meetings. Practice sharing one opinion per day. Use written communication when verbal feels overwhelming. Start advocating for yourself in low-stakes situations.
The Fawn Response at Work
The fawn response at work creates the classic "yes person" — someone who takes on everyone else's work, never pushes back on unreasonable demands, and sacrifices their own career advancement to keep others comfortable.
Signs at Work
- •Saying yes to every request regardless of capacity
- •Doing other people's work to avoid conflict
- •Never negotiating salary or pushing for promotions
- •Absorbing blame that belongs to others
- •Changing opinions to match whoever is in the room
💡 The Healthy Alternative
Practice saying "Let me check my schedule" instead of automatic yes. Track your contributions and advocate for credit. Remember: being liked is not the same as being respected.
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Managing Trauma Responses at Work
1. Identify Your Triggers
Keep a journal of situations that activate your stress response. Common workplace triggers include performance reviews, public speaking, conflict with colleagues, tight deadlines, and authority figures.
2. Create a Regulation Toolkit
Develop go-to strategies for when you feel activated: deep breathing, stepping away for a walk, grounding exercises at your desk, or texting a supportive friend. Having a plan reduces the power of the trigger.
3. Set Professional Boundaries
Boundaries are not unprofessional — they are essential. Practice saying no to extra work, leaving on time, and not checking email outside hours. Start small and build up.
4. Seek Workplace-Savvy Therapy
A therapist who understands occupational stress and trauma can help you develop strategies specific to your work environment. Online therapy makes it easier to fit sessions around your schedule.
Related Resources
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