Learning to surf the Threat/Thrive Continuum

Do you ever wish you could just camp out forever in that state of mind where you feel good and nothing throws you off your game?

No doubt you’ve at least visited that state. You may have even spent an extended time there. But then somewhere along the line, it happens. Life throws you a curve ball, or stress starts to gnaw away at your peace of mind. And before you know it, you’re all twisted up, feeling reactive, and climbing Mount Molehill again and again.

If that sounds familiar, I know why. You’re human.

Life as a human is a nonstop ebb and flow along what I call The Threat/Thrive Continuum^TM . Sometimes we feel energized and in our groove, able to handle whatever comes our way. Other times we lean towards the end where it feels like our knickers are in a permanent state of knotitude.

Threat State / Thrive State

The two ends of the continuum are two different ways of experiencing life, the Threat State and the Thrive State.

The Threat State is the result of the brain’s threat response (commonly known as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn). Life on this end of the continuum is characterized by anything that that has a constricting effect, like stress, fear, anger, etc. Not only is it no fun to hang out here, it also limits your access to your inner resources.

The Thrive State end of the continuum, on the other hand, is where the best of what you bring to the world is able to flow freely. It is characterized by feeling open, engaged, and energized. Not only does it feel better here, it also gives you greater access to your inner resources.

Ebb and Flow

Your life doesn’t just find a place on the Threat/Thrive Continuum and stay there. There is a constant ebb and flow.

The goal in using the Threat/Thrive Continuum as a framework for growth isn’t to stake out your claim on the Thrive side and stay there forever (did I mention that you’re human?). It’s both to increase your tendency towards that Thrive State and get better at recovering when you inevitably get knocked out of it into that Threat State. It’s about learning to surf that ebb and flow.

Some of the ideas we’ll be exploring in this blog are about building a Thrive State foundation that helps you gravitate more naturally towards thrive and makes it easier to stay there. Others are more akin to first-aid, something to be applied to stop the bleeding and right the ship (did I mention my penchant for mixing metaphors?) when you find yourself flailing in that Threat State.

Part of the value of the Threat/Thrive Continuum is that it gives you an easy way to think about where you are and offers a starting point for next steps. And since you know that life is a constant ebb and flow between the two ends, you won’t be surprised when that Threat State rears its head.

Try this: Use the Threat/Thrive Continuum model as a reference point to check in with yourself. Where would you place yourself on it today? Where would you place yourself on it more generally?

For the next week, check in with yourself and place yourself on the continuum each day.

If you find yourself regularly in Threat State (stressed, worried, fearful, etc.), ask yourself, “What helps me dial that feeling down? What practice or activity can I do right now?”

The goal is to start building a toolkit for yourself for moving out of that Threat State, or at least keeping yourself from getting mired there.

If you find yourself regularly in the Thrive State, celebrate it and ask, “What is contributing to that? What helps me feel good/energized/engaged/etc.?” The goal is to start building a frame you can consciously start building on.

Stay tuned for the next two posts, where I’ll do a deeper dive into what contributes to each of those states and some ideas for learning to surf the Threat/Thrive Continuum – recovering from falls into the Threat State more fluidly and moving more naturally towards Thrive.