Evolution & Biological Stress Response

Dear Friends, Happy experience learning.

Let’s move

These lessons are connected with the scenario given below: 

Mr.MoMo:

 A rabbit spots a fox near its burrow and freezes, its heart racing, ready to flee at any moment.
Human (IT Employee): An IT engineer sees a critical server crash and feels their heart racing, hands tense, as they try to decide on the first action.

When early humans saw a predator, their brain triggered the fight, flight, or freeze response—adrenaline rushed, muscles tensed, and senses sharpened.

[The conversation between Rabbit and the IT engineer]

 

Mr.MoMo:

“Oh no! I see a fox coming closer. My heart is racing. What should I do?”

Rabbit’s Instincts Speak:  

• Fight: “If I have no way out, I’ll kick with my strong back legs or bite to protect myself.”
• Flight: “But I’d rather dash to my burrow as fast as I can – that’s my safest escape!”

• Freeze: “Or maybe I should stay perfectly still, blending into the grass, hoping the fox won’t even notice me.”

Mr.MoMo:

“Each choice is about staying alive. You humans feel the same when danger or stress shows up – you fight, flee, or freeze too!”

Arun:

“Whoa! The production server just crashed. My heart is pounding like crazy, and my palms are sweating. It feels like everything around me has gone silent, and all I can think about is fixing this—fast!”

Arun:

“It’s funny. I’m not running from a tiger, but my body thinks I am. This fight-flight-freeze thing kicks in, helping me focus and react quickly. But if I stay in this mode for too long—day after day—I’ll burn out. Stress isn’t just in the wild; it lives in our work too.”

puzzle

 

The brain’s survival mechanism is designed to react to threats—whether a lion or a crashed server—with the same intensity. This fight-or-flight response triggers stress hormones and heightened alertness, regardless of the nature of the threat. 

Understanding this can help us recognize when our anxiety may be disproportionate, allowing us to respond more rationally. By acknowledging that our brain views these situations similarly, we can develop better strategies to manage our stress.

This awareness empowers us to navigate challenges more effectively.

Stress in Rabbits and Humans

Both rabbits and humans share an ancient survival blueprint – fight, flight, or freeze. In rabbits, it’s about evading predators; in humans, it’s facing deadlines, conflicts, or sudden crises.

The body responds identically – with a racing heart, sharp senses, and quick reflexes – preparing for immediate action. Our modern threats have changed, but the instinct remains deeply primal and biologically wired.

Let’s do the Cognitive GYM 

Matching Puzzle – Rabbit vs. IT Employee

“Just like a rabbit reacts to danger with Freeze, Flight, or Fight, IT employees also show these instincts at work.
Your task is to carefully observe the office scene and click on the areas where these stress reactions are happening.”

 Click on the hotspots that represent Freeze, Flight, and Fight.

• Freeze → Going blank during a client presentation
• Flight → Ignoring a critical email to avoid confrontation
• Fight → Arguing with a teammate about code ownership

Reflection-based puzzle

OPEN BOX

Arun:

“When deadlines close in, I can feel it in both my head and my body. The clock keeps ticking, my heart beats faster, and my mind runs through every possible outcome—what if we don’t deliver on time?”

“And then there are those moments when the server crashes without warning. Suddenly, it’s all hands on deck. We huddle together, troubleshoot like crazy, and come up with fixes under pressure. 

It’s intense, but it also shows how strong and resourceful we can be as a team. Stressful? Absolutely. But it pushes us to rise to the challenge and keep things running smoothly.”

 

Fight, Flight, Freeze

Fight Response

Mr.MoMo:

“When I see a fox, my body goes on high alert. My amygdala shouts, ‘Danger!’, and the hypothalamus pumps out adrenaline. My heart races, my muscles tense—I’m ready to kick or bite if I must.”

Arun:

“Funny you say that. When my manager questions the project timeline, I feel the same rush. My heart pounds, I get this surge of energy—like I’m defending my work, my territory.”

Mr.MoMo:

“So… you fight too? Just not with claws or teeth?”

Arun:

“Exactly! I fight with words, arguments, and negotiation. But it’s the same brain circuit keeping us ready to defend ourselves.”

Let’s do the Cognitive Gym Cue:

Practice grounding—press your feet firmly into the floor and name three objects you see to break the freeze.

 

 

 

Cognitive Gym Drill

Micro-Reset Breath – 4 seconds inhale, 4 seconds hold, 4 seconds exhale.

Practice after reading Buddies!

 

Acute vs. Chronic Stress

Let’s see the difference between Acute and Chronic Stress

Mr.MoMo: 

“When I hear a sudden rustle in the grass, my body goes into full alert—heart racing, muscles ready. But once I know it’s safe, I calm down. That’s acute stress—it comes and goes quickly.”

Arun:

“Same here. When a server crashes, I feel that immediate jolt of stress. But once it’s fixed, I relax and get back to normal.”

Mr.MoMo:

“Now chronic stress? That’s different. If I live near loud machines and constant disturbance, I never fully relax. I stay alert for hours, and it wears me out—my immunity drops, I can’t forage properly.”

Arun:

“I get that too. With constant deadlines, endless pings, and late-night calls, my body feels like it’s always on high alert. Over time, it drains me—fatigue, poor focus, even burnout.”

Mr.MoMo: 

“So acute stress helps us survive… but chronic stress slowly harms us?”

Arun:

“Exactly. Different worlds, same biology.”

Let’s  do the Interaction

Select whether each scenario represents Acute Stress or Chronic Stress from the drop-down menu.

Neurobiology, Adrenaline, and Cortisol

Let’s see the process of Neurobiology, Adrenaline, and Cortisol functions.

 

Mr.MoMo: 

“When I sense danger, my amygdala fires off a signal to the hypothalamus—fast! Then my adrenal glands pump out adrenaline. My heart races, my senses sharpen, my muscles get ready to run or fight.”

Arun Reflects:

“I feel the same when a production server crashes. It’s like my brain hits the panic button—adrenaline floods my system and I’m laser-focused on fixing the issue.”

Mr.MoMo:

“But if the threat lingers, my body releases cortisol too. It keeps me alert and ready… but if it stays high for too long, it drains me. I get weaker, more tired, less sharp.”

Arun:

“Exactly what happens to me with back-to-back incidents and constant alerts. Adrenaline helps at first, but cortisol overdrive leaves me exhausted—and sometimes burned out.”

Mr.MoMo: 

“So, adrenaline is the quick spark, cortisol is the backup power. But running on high stress all the time? Bad news for both of us.”

 

Arun :

“Different habitats, same survival system.”