On-Guard
What is On-Guard?
Constantly scanning for threats or problems. Your nervous system stays in a protective mode, anticipating what might go wrong.
When you might feel on-guard
On-Guard is a specific form of hypervigilance, which itself is a type of activated. You might experience this feeling in situations where activated is present, particularly when the circumstances align with the nuances that define on-guard.
Emotional Hierarchy
Explore On-Guard on the Interactive Wheel
Use our free interactive feeling wheel to explore on-guard and discover related emotions.
Open Stress Response WheelRelated Emotions
An explosive surge of sympathetic energy — the nervous system perceives a seriou...
Intense, heat-filled anger that demands action. The body is primed: jaw tight, f...
A protective posture where you keep walls up and watch closely. The system is on...
A hardened, braced state — the body holds tension as a shield. Vulnerability fee...
Too much input at once — the nervous system is saturated with stimulation and ca...
Chaotic, high-energy activation where everything feels urgent and nothing feels ...