Stress and uncertainty can cause us to shrink down and play small—but no positive changes can occur when we’re stuck in that state.

You’ve likely heard of “fight, flight, or freeze” when it comes to our sympathetic nervous system stress responses. But “fawn” is a term later added. Loosely, fawning describes when we play small, pretending to be powerless so that we don’t pose a threat to those who aim to harm us, maybe even eliciting their sympathy. Many times, fawning includes drawing closer to the source of harm in an attempt to win them over or at least minimize the harm done to us.  

…but can that response resolve or improve the situation? Arguably not, especially not long term. In today’s socio-political climate, fawning is a band-aid. To create positive, lasting change, we’ve gotta get out of fawn mode and step back into our power.

I’ve created Expansive Yet Grounded to help you reclaim your right to take up space, be seen, heard, and respected. Practice with me for free on YouTube.

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