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Jan 16, 2026 6 min

Beyond Fight, Flight, Freeze

from Whisky Wednesday Hosted by Jason Hotchkiss, Executive Calm & Performance Consultant

Is stress hijacking your decision-making and sabotaging your leadership? In this episode of The Calm Under Pressure Podcast, we pull back the curtain on the "invisible force" that keeps leaders awake at 3:00 AM. If you’ve ever felt your mind go blank in a high-stakes board meeting or snapped defensively at a colleague, you aren't a bad leader—you’re a human with a nervous system. We dive deep into the science of the Amygdala Hijack and explain why your brain prioritizes survival over strategy when the pressure is on. Learn how to stop reacting from your "basement" and start leading from your "penthouse." The Anatomy of a Stress Response: How to identify if you are a "Fighter," "Flier," or "Freezer" during conflict. The Amygdala Hijack: Why your brain cuts power to your logic and empathy (the Prefrontal Cortex) during social threats. The Navy SEAL Advantage: A guided, 60-second Box Breathing exercise to regulate your nervous system instantly. The Identity Anchor: How to shift your mindset to define the energy of the room rather than reacting to the chaos.Beyond Fight, Flight, Freeze

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