Overcoming Freeze-Stress Response: Steps to Break Free from Paralysis and Move Forward

Unable to make decisions, unmotivated, feeling disconnected or emotionless, and highly anxious yet maintaining day-to-day function. “Tired and wired” with a propensity towards shutdown if all becomes too overwhelming. These are all common symptoms of being in a freeze-stress response.

Freeze happens in the face of fear where we are immobilized and too overwhelmed to respond with flight or fight.

This fear can feel paralyzing and drives us towards avoidant behaviors, preventing us from moving towards goals or relationships.

So how can we become unstuck and create forward movement?

• Brain dump! Journaling all the intrusive and ruminating thoughts and feelings can help you organize them, and lead you towards insight. It doesn’t need to be legible, grammatically correct, or even sensical. Write whatever comes to mind and leave it, don’t reread it.

• Move! Engage in some physical activity that is within your window of tolerance. This could look like exercise, it could look like grocery shopping. Moving the body helps reconnect the brain and body, sending signals to the body that it’s safe.

• Create! Engage in a new activity that stimulates new ways of thinking, feeling, and moving. This will open up new pathways in the brain while offering a welcomed hit of dopamine.

• Worst case, Current, and Best case scenario! Detail each of these out. The worst case may help you identify behaviors that are leading towards that and make more aligned changes. Assessing the current situation may help you see progress and where things are good. Best best-case scenario may help you find motivation and align your choices accordingly.

• Socialize! Connect with someone who feels safe, empathetic, validating, and/or offers support in ways that feel good for you.

• Make space! Where are you placing too much energy? Is this avoidant? Free up some energy to allow yourself to think, feel, and create in a way that moves you toward the thing you desire.

• Face the fear! Feeling the fear while practicing self-compassion and self-inquiry offers a sense of security and insight into why you are stuck and how you are keeping yourself stuck. As you expand your tolerance to this fear you will find more courage to take action and feel more secure in healthy risk-taking.

“By replacing fear of the unknown with curiosity we open ourselves to an infinite stream of possibility.”

- Alan Watts.