How to Turn Off the Freeze Response: Techniques to Break Free from Feeling Stuck
When faced with stress or perceived danger, our bodies naturally respond in one of three ways: fight, flight, or freeze. While the fight and flight responses are more commonly recognized, the freeze response is equally important to understand, especially for those who often feel “stuck” or immobilized in stressful situations. In this blog, we’ll explore what the freeze response is, why it happens, and provide practical techniques to help you turn off this response and regain control.
What is the Freeze Response?
The freeze response is an automatic, unconscious survival instinct triggered by the brain when it perceives a threat that seems impossible to fight off or escape. When this happens, the body can become immobile, muscles may lock up, and a person might feel mentally stuck. It’s as if the body decides that the best way to survive is to become still, almost like playing dead to avoid detection by a predator.
This response is part of the fight-flight-freeze mechanism, where:
Fight is about confronting the threat.
Flight is about escaping the threat.
Freeze occurs when the threat feels too overwhelming to confront or flee from, causing a person to feel paralyzed or numb.
While this response may have been life-saving in ancient times, helping early humans avoid predators, it can be less helpful in modern life. Today, situations like public speaking, taking an exam, or facing a daunting task can trigger the freeze response, causing unnecessary distress and hindering performance.
Symptoms of the Freeze Response
Understanding the symptoms of the freeze response can help you recognize when you’re experiencing it. These symptoms can be both physical and emotional:
Physical Symptoms: Muscles locking up (tonic immobility)
Feelings of numbness or detachment
Dissociation or feeling disconnected from reality
Stiffness or heaviness in the body
Holding breath or shallow breathing
Shrinking or attempting to disappear physically
Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms: Overwhelm and difficulty making decisions
Appeasing behaviors (fawning) or people-pleasing
Shame about freezing and not being able to act
Reliving traumatic events or feeling stuck in the past
Why Does the Freeze Response Occur?
The freeze response is rooted in ancient brain mechanisms designed for survival. It originates from the limbic system and brainstem—the parts of the brain that don’t differentiate well between modern stressors and life-threatening situations.
Key Reasons for the Freeze Response:
Overwhelm and Resource Perception: When the brain detects a significant gap between a perceived threat and the resources available to manage it, it may trigger the freeze response. This reaction is meant to preserve energy and avoid a danger that seems insurmountable.
Trauma and Memory: Trauma is stored not just in the mind but also in the body. When we think about past trauma or face a perceived threat, our bodies can react as though the danger is immediate, causing a freeze response.
How to Turn Off the Freeze Response: Practical Techniques
To break free from the freeze response, it's essential to engage in strategies that help reengage the body and signal to the brain that it is safe. Here are some practical techniques:
1. Reengage the Body with Movement
Movement is the antithesis of freezing. Engaging in physical activities can help signal to your brain that it’s safe to move and act.
Examples of Movements to Break the Freeze:Patting your legs or stomping your feet
Shaking your arms or dancing
Walking or doing simple stretches
Purpose: These actions physically break the freeze and remind the brain that it is safe to move.
2. Practice Tactical Breathing
Breathing techniques can help calm the brain and body, reducing the likelihood of freezing.
How to Do It: Inhale slowly for 5 seconds, hold for a moment, then exhale for 5 seconds. Repeat this pattern continuously without pauses.
Purpose: This helps keep oxygen circulating, prevents panic, and keeps the brain focused.
3. Grounding Exercises
Grounding techniques are designed to bring you back to the present moment and calm your nervous system.
Examples of Grounding Techniques: Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
Focus on the sensation of your feet on the ground or the feeling of an object in your hands.
If available, changing your body's temperature (Bag of Ice around the neck)
Purpose: These exercises help reorient you to the present and reduce feelings of being stuck or dissociated.
4. Engage in Flow State Activities
Flow state activities involve actions that require focus and use of the hands or body, helping shift attention away from the mind and into the senses.
Examples: Writing, drawing, painting, knitting, or any form of art.
Purpose: These activities promote a state of flow, reduce anxiety, and help you feel more present.
5. Visualization and Guided Imagery
Visualization techniques help retrain the brain to respond to perceived threats more calmly.
How to Use Visualization:Envision a safe, calm place, or recall a time when you felt successful and relaxed.
Practice this imagery regularly, especially in non-stressful situations.
Purpose: This helps build a mental habit of calmness and safety, reducing the default freeze response.
6. Gradual Exposure to Anxiety-Inducing Situations
Gradually exposing yourself to mild anxiety triggers in a controlled manner can help desensitize the brain to stress.
Examples: Try mildly challenging activities like rock climbing, public speaking in front of a small group, or asking a stranger for directions.
Purpose: This helps train the brain to handle stress more effectively, reducing the tendency to freeze.
Additional Tips and Encouragement
Self-Awareness: Identify personal triggers and symptoms of freezing to better prepare for and counteract these responses.
Seek Professional Help: If you experience severe or ongoing freeze responses, consider working with a therapist trained in trauma, such as those specializing in EMDR or somatic experiencing.
Positive Self-Talk: Remind yourself that it’s okay to feel anxious or scared. These feelings do not define your ability to act or respond effectively.
Understanding the freeze response is the first step in learning how to manage it effectively. By using the techniques outlined in this blog, you can begin to break free from the freeze response, regain control over your actions, and build resilience in the face of stress. Remember, it’s a journey, and being compassionate with yourself is key.
If you need further support or would like to learn more about managing stress and anxiety, consider reaching out to a professional or joining a community like Naseeha that offers guidance and resources.
By employing these strategies and understanding the freeze response better, you can empower yourself to handle stressful situations more effectively and reduce the feeling of being stuck or immobilized.