Unable To Do Anything When Stressed? You're Probably In 'Freeze Mode'

"You’ve heard of fight or flight but do you know the third stress response? It’s called a freeze response and it’s more common than you’d think. Put simply: the freeze response renders sufferers immobile. This is an acute stress response, much like the fight or flight response.

Are You Stuck In Freeze Mode?

While this sounds like a response to external triggers that won’t impact your day-to-day life, anxiety sufferers can be triggered into a stress response due to their nervous systems being overwhelmed. So, for what would usually be a small, inconsequential thing can set off the symptoms of a freeze response.

This can be especially stressful if you’re trying to get on with your daily life and work. According to psychologists, people stuck in Freeze Mode will find themselves feeling heavier, struggling to ‘get going’ with work or household tasks and will often stay in the same place feeling frozen for long periods of time. Of course, not being able to do the things that are usually second nature comes with its own issues such as guilt, frustration and low mood - all of which can compound the freeze response even further.

How To Snap Out Of Freeze Mode

While this can understandably feel inescapable for sufferers, freeze mode is something that you can bring yourself out of.

• The first thing you can do to help yourself, which may help to gain some clarity, is recognize that what you’re experiencing is freeze mode.
• Be mindful of the symptoms that you’re experiencing and then acknowledge them for what they are. This creates a barrier between you and the response. Next, start at your toes and slowly move parts of your body all the way to your head to reconnect with your body and break free from the disconnect that freeze mode creates.
• Do something completely different in a different room. This could be pouring yourself a glass of water, washing your face or simply opening a window.
• Be gentle with yourself in the days following a freeze response In the hours and days following a freeze response, you may feel tired, aching and even have some residual anxiety."

Read the full article on The Huffington Post

✨Takeaway: Freeze response is the third stress response similar to the fight or flight response. It can be triggered by overwhelming nervous systems, making it difficult to complete daily tasks.

✨Reflection: Have you ever experienced a freeze response?

#Emotions #Stressed #Stress #MentalHealth #Anxiety

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