Amber Meulendyke, Marketing and Public Relations Manager

At some point in your life, you’ve probably witnessed what seemed to be an overreaction to an otherwise everyday situation. Maybe it was an argument between family members, a heated discussion between co-workers or a customer loudly voicing their complaints to a waitress or cashier.

You may have wondered, “how could someone be so out of line?” Instead of being embarrassed, avoiding the situation or even being scared, take note: This person may simply be “stuck.”

Some individuals live in high-stress situations for extended periods of time, whether it’s days, weeks, months or years. Their “stress switches” become “stuck.” When someone’s stress switches are stuck, they operate in a state of arousal or alarm, for example, when there is no obvious need for such heightened responses.

This can happen for reasons such as relationship troubles, problems at work or financial difficulties. Others are impacted by past experiences from early in their lives (growing up in impoverished or violent communities, for instance). In other words, something has happened in that person’s life that is preventing them from being the best version of themselves.

When you are at your best, you are able to control the way you respond, the choices you make and how quickly you bounce back when bad things happen. You are able to be resilient.

For most people, these blow-ups do not happen often; when they do, they can be remedied by apologies and relationship building. However, some are unable to realize they are “stuck,” or cannot become the best version of themselves on their own.

Being stuck is often the root of crisis—no matter what form it takes. Luckily, FEI has developed tools, trainings and services specifically designed to not only help individuals and organizations become “unstuck,” but to deal with the real-life impacts of crisis events that may result from stressful situations.

Want to learn more about what we can do to address your stuck employees and improve the health of your business? Reach out or give us a call.