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Survival State Quiz
 

This quiz will help you understand how your nervous system responds when you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or under pressure.

Your nervous system can respond differently in different areas of life. For the most useful results, focus on one type of stress at a time. For example, stress at work, in your relationship, or when dealing with family.

For each statement below, rate how often it feels true for you when you are stressed, anxious, or under pressure.

Use a 1–5 scale:

  • 1 = Almost never

  • 2 = Rarely

  • 3 = Sometimes

  • 4 = Often

  • 5 = Almost always

🔥 Fight Pattern

  • When I feel stressed, I become irritable or easily frustrated.

  • I feel an urge to take control or fix things immediately.

  • My body feels tense or braced (jaw, shoulders, chest).

  • When overwhelmed, I become argumentative or defensive.

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🏃 Flight Pattern

  • My mind races or overthinks, especially when I try to relax.

  • I stay busy or productive to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

  • I feel restless, anxious, or like I can’t slow down.

  • I have trouble falling asleep because my mind won’t turn off.

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🧊 Freeze Pattern

  • When I feel overwhelmed, I shut down or feel stuck.

  • I procrastinate or avoid tasks because they feel too overwhelming to start.

  • I feel foggy, numb, or disconnected when stressed.

  • When things feel like too much, I escape into distractions (scrolling, TV, zoning out).

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🕊️ Fawn Pattern

  • When others are upset, I feel responsible for fixing it.

  • I prioritize others’ needs over my own, even when I’m exhausted.

  • I worry that setting boundaries will lead to conflict, disappointment, or rejection.

  • In conflict, I try to keep the peace or smooth things over.

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🌿 Body Awareness

  • I notice physical signs of stress in my body early.

  • I can feel changes in my breathing, heart rate, or muscle tension.

  • I can tell when my nervous system is starting to shift into stress.

  • I notice when I move out of a calm or regulated state.

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 Scoring

      Add up your answers in each category:

  • Fight: Q1–4

  • Flight: Q5–8

  • Freeze: Q9–12

  • Fawn: Q13–16

  • Body Awareness: Q17–20

Results

  • Your highest score = your primary survival pattern

  • Your second highest = your secondary pattern

Most nervous systems don’t rely on just one response.
Common pairings include:

  • Flight + Freeze

  • Fawn + Freeze

  • Flight + Fawn

Body Awareness Levels

  • 4–7 → Limited awareness of body signals

  • 8–11 → Inconsistent awareness

  • 12–14 → Growing awareness

  • 15–16 → Strong awareness and responsiveness

Your nervous system adapted to keep you safe. This quiz helps you understand how it learned to do that.

Want a deeper breakdown of your survival pattern, plus exercises to help shift it safely? Enter your email and I’ll send you a personalized guide.

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