{"id":972,"date":"2026-07-16T05:12:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T11:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/talesofmanythings.com\/blog\/?p=972"},"modified":"2026-07-12T09:57:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T15:57:11","slug":"take-the-extra-minute-listen-to-your-adrenaline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talesofmanythings.com\/blog\/2026\/07\/16\/take-the-extra-minute-listen-to-your-adrenaline\/","title":{"rendered":"Take the Extra Minute: Listen to Your Adrenaline"},"content":{"rendered":"

Years ago, one of my medical instructors said something that completely changed how I view high stress situations. He was talking about responding to emergencies and stepping straight into the kind of chaos most people spend their lives avoiding.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always tell people to run away from disasters,\u201d he said. \u201cIn this job, we\u2019re the ones running toward them.\u201d Then he said something that seemed completely out of place. \u201cWhen you step out of the vehicle, plant both feet firmly on the ground, take a deep breath and check your pulse.\u201d<\/p>\n

It sounded like an odd thing to do when people are actively in trouble. Someone\u2019s life might be hanging in the balance. Why stop?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes almost no time,\u201d he continued, \u201cbut it will reflect in the rest of your day. You just cleared your own ABCs. Your breathing is probably fast and your pulse is elevated. That\u2019s fine. It means you recognize the seriousness of what you\u2019re walking into. Now go and clear everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

First, Clear Your Own ABCs<\/strong><\/p>\n

In emergency medicine and the rescue world in general, ABCs<\/strong> stand for Airway, Breathing and Circulation<\/strong>, the three priorities that keep someone alive. They are the absolute baseline of life support. Before you can treat a broken bone or a gaping wound, you must ensure a patient can breathe and has a pulse.<\/p>\n

What my instructor was teaching us was to run a diagnostic check on ourselves<\/em> first. If you don\u2019t secure your own ABCs, you are no good to the person who needs you. Before we can help another person, we have to make sure we aren\u2019t becoming the next patient. That brief pause wasn\u2019t really about checking a pulse. It was about checking yourself.<\/p>\n

Are you breathing?
\nAre you thinking clearly?
\nAre you ready to work in a hazardous, chaotic environment?<\/p>\n

Only then do you move forward.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Your Body is Talking to You<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s my turn to teach. I\u2019ve been doing search and rescue long enough that I get to teach the next generation of rescuers. The number one thing I always want my students to remember is how to handle their own adrenaline. The lesson I want every new rescuer to remember isn\u2019t about knots, ropes or medical skills. It\u2019s about adrenaline.<\/p>\n

Picture yourself getting ready to rappel to a patient trapped below a cliffside.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve checked your harness three times.
\nYour teammates are waiting.
\nSomeone is in peril.
\nYour heart is pounding.
\nYour breathing is faster than normal.<\/p>\n

That spike in your chest isn\u2019t just excitement. It\u2019s nature\u2019s way of telling you to slow down. Your heart is pounding because your brain is processing risk faster than usual. You\u2019re standing in a hazardous, chaotic environment where even a small mistake can have serious consequences.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s adrenaline.<\/p>\n

Adrenaline and norepinephrine are your body\u2019s fight-or-flight chemicals, hormones that trigger a cascade of physical changes:<\/p>\n