#81 How Stress Hijacks Your Brain and What to Do About It
May 28, 2025I knew I was in trouble the moment I snapped at the copier.
It jammed—again—and without skipping a beat, I muttered something I can’t print here and smacked the side like it was a vending machine from 1987. A parent walked by. I froze.
That’s when I realized: this wasn’t about the copier.
It was about the dozen deadlines stacked on my desk, the parent email I didn’t answer, the staff meeting I wasn’t mentally prepared for, and the math test I still hadn’t graded. My brain wasn’t just overwhelmed. It was hijacked. Stress had taken the wheel. And no matter how many deep breaths I tried to take, I couldn’t get back to calm. There was a buzz throughout my body that I didn’t like, and I couldn’t quiet it.
I needed more than good intentions. I needed a new approach to my day.
That’s why today, we’re talking about the 4Fs: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn, and how they shut down the 4Cs: Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Collaboration. If we want to teach, lead, or live with clarity, we have to start by calming the chaos within.
Any good teacher looks beyond the classroom to understand the world their students are walking into and then proceeds to prepare them for it.
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Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Collaboration were originally framed as the 4Cs of 21st Century Learning. They’re essential for thriving in today’s world. They’re the top 4 skills Fortune 500 companies look for in new hires, and ten years ago I designed a graduate level course around them because I knew if we want to prepare students for life, not just tests, this is where we start.
They are, at their core, very much life skills. They’re just as vital in boardrooms, hospitals, relationships, parenting, and even navigating everyday decisions as they are in the classroom.
The 4Cs are skills for life. They’re how we solve problems, build relationships, and move through the world with purpose.
So what do the 4Cs have to do with stress hijacking your body? When stress takes over, so do the 4Fs: Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn. And those four will sabotage the 4 Cs every single time.
The Problem:
Teachers and parents are living in chronic stress mode, and so are most kids, unfortunately. Their nervous systems get hijacked, pushing them into survival states where logical thinking, empathy, and creativity go offline. It’s not that they don’t want to show up to their work, their families, their relationships, or even to themselves, calm and connected, it’s that they can’t when they’re stuck in a stress loop.
What’s the Fix?:
My favorite research-backed, body-based stress relief practice. Nicknamed “tapping,” EFT is like a needleless acupuncture that calms the nervous system, reduces cortisol, and restores balance to the body and brain. It blends acupressure, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral tools so we can shift from reactivity to resilience.
Why Now?
Now, if you’re wrapping up the school year, or your year is over already, summer is the perfect time to lay the foundation for this new habit. Think of EFT as nervous system training. If you practice now, a little bit each day, while life has slowed down a bit, you’ll be equipped to respond, not react, when the chaos of the school year kicks back in. Not to mention if anything unexpected happens during your summer months, you’ll be in a much better headspace to manage what comes your way.
So when you tame the 4Fs with tapping, the 4Cs have a better chance to take root and grow. Give this exercise a try. It’s a flow that brings together the 4Cs, the 4Fs, and the healing power of EFT.
If you've got some stories to share or questions to ask, I'd love to hear them. Your insights and experiences might just be the spark that another parent needs to hear. Leave a comment or DM me on Instagram at @jenncaputo because when we lift each other up, we all grow wiser.
Remember, it's not about being perfect. It's about being easy with the practice.
