Which Nervous System Dysregulation Pattern is Keeping You Stuck?

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  You’ve been having a great day. You got to catch up with your best friend, you got most of your to-do lists checked off, and your energy level was good. And then…your partner walks in in a BAD mood. Your response?

  • A.
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    You get MAD. You were having a great day and now it’s ruined. Why can’t they just calm down? Now you have to fix it.
  • B.
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    You do whatever you can to avoid them. Whatever you try doesn’t seem to work anyway, so what’s the point?
  • C.
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    You feel anxious and go into fix it mode, but when it doesn’t work, you peace out. You grab the wine (or the phone or the cookies) and push it away.
• 2.
  Which statement feels the most spot-on for you?

  • A.
    I have things I want to do and goals I want to achieve but I feel stuck. I don’t know what to do first, and even if I do get started – I don’t trust myself to do things right.
  • B.
    I tend to have lots of energy to get things started, but as soon as I feel a bit of confusion or overwhelm, I quit.
  • C.
    It’s just easier for me to do things myself. Even when there’s way too much on my plate, I do it all. I’d rather be exhausted and have it done the right way AND not have to put anyone else out.
• 3.
  When someone criticizes me (or, let’s be honest if I get the slightest HINT of criticism), I:

  • A.
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    Want to die. The shame that rushes over me usually causes me to shut down and beat myself up.
  • B.
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    Get defensive AF. I will wear you down proving I’m right.
  • C.
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    Will agree wholeheartedly with the criticism to avoid conflict in the moment. But I will replay it over and over in my head, vacillating between anger and shame.
• 4.
  I may start my day feeling confident, but by the end of the day I am usually feeling:

  • A.
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    Defeated. What is wrong with me? Why can’t I just get my shit together?
  • B.
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    Empty. ALL of my motivation has been used up by 7:00 and now it's time to numb out.
  • C.
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    Resentful. My entire day was filled with doing things for other people. Sure, I know how to do it all, but why am I the ONLY one who does anything?
• 5.
  The song that represents me when my nervous system has been triggered is:

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  • A.
    Roller Coaster by blink 182
  • B.
    Shutdown by BLACKPINK
  • C.
    Control by Janet Jackson
• 6.
  You are texting back and forth with someone and suddenly they disappear. The voice in your head says:

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  • A.
    Obviously you've done something wrong and they don’t like you anymore. You suck and they know it.
  • B.
    Time to go back and do a thorough review of every single exchange we’ve ever had. Figure out what happened and fix it.
  • C.
    Study every word. Go back and reassess every interaction. Come up with all the reasons they’ve stopped interacting. And when you can’t fix it? Give up. This is "typical" you.
• 7.
  When life is upside down and it feels like everything is going wrong, I:

  • A.
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    Shut down. I can’t handle this.
  • B.
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    Swing back and forth between trying to fix things and then shutting down when you get overwhelmed.
  • C.
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    Think, think, think, think, think. Fix, fix, fix, fix, fix.
• 8.
  When I’ve got a really big event or project coming up, I:

  • A.
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    Come up with everything – and I mean EVERYTHING – that could possible go wrong and try to make a plan for how to prevent them all from happening.
  • B.
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    Don’t know where to start. The overwhelm can feel paralyzing.
  • C.
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    Feel amped up to start but as soon as things get hard or something doesn't work the way I thought it would, I freeze.
• 9.
  How do you handle conflicts in your relationships?

  • A.
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    I don't.
  • B.
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    I try to address the issue, but if it gets too intense or the person isn’t calming down, I’ll shut down or numb out.
  • C.
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    I try not to have conflicts in the first place, but if I do? You better believe I will fix it and make sure it never EVER happens again.
• 10.
  How do you tend to respond when you notice a shift in someone’s mood or in the energy in the room?

  • A.
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    As soon as I notice it, I start taking actions to bring the mood back to where I want it to be. And I often can. But later I will feel exhausted, resentful, and/or defeated
  • B.
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    I notice even the subtlest of shifts and I immediately start figuring out a plan to fix it.
  • C.
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    I get quiet and wonder if it’s my fault. I feel like I don’t know what to do.

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  Your type is: Hypervigilance

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  Your nervous system reacts hypervigilantly to the first hint of trouble. And while this dysregulation type has you believing you are in control, it's not true and, frankly, it's taking a major toll on your life.Go check your email for a more detailed understanding of what this hypervigilant type means, why you react this way, AND how to manage it. (Don't see the email? Make sure to check your spam or promotional folders!)
• 2.
  Your type is: Hypovigilance 

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  Your nervous system tends to freeze or shutdown mode, causing you to withdraw or avoid life when confronted with triggers. While this response may initially offer a sense of safety, it ultimately leaves you feeling disconnected and stuck.Go check your email for a more detailed understanding of what this hypervigilant type means, why you react this way, AND how to learn to be calm AF.(Don't see the email? Make sure to check your spam or promotional folders!)
• 3.
  Your type is: Vacillator

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  You've perfected the all-or-nothing lifestyle, where you're either fully in action mode OR completely shut off. Happy medium? Balance? Never heard of her.While you might believe you can sustain this pace by numbing yourself each night, the reality is, you aren't ever living your life. You are simply reacting to it.Go check your inbox for a more detailed understanding of what this means, why you react this way, AND how to learn to be calm AF.(Don't see the email? Make sure to check your spam or promotional folders!)