thawing the freeze response
One of the often unacknowledged responses of the sympathetic nervous system is the “freeze” response in the presence of a real or perceived threat. We freeze as a survival mechanism when we feel unable to defeat or outrun danger. As an adult, our nervous system identifies deadlines, traffic, interpersonal conflicts, and upsetting content on social media as danger, along with a number of other triggers specific to our unique life stories.
Many of us go days, months, perhaps even years going in and out of the freeze response, complicating chronic illness and/or depression and making it challenging to care for ourselves, be effective in our work, and show up in community. If you relate to this coping strategy, know that it has brilliantly helped you to stay safe, even though it may not be as adaptive now as it was in the past.
So, how do we thaw the freeze response?
Envision a sense of safety. In meditation, create an imagined place to remind your nervous system of what safety feels like. My safe place is a lake-front A-Frame cabin in the woods, but yours can be anywhere you like, real or imagined. Where is your safe place? Travel there when you feel frozen and drop into a sense of peace and relaxation. Also, you can resource memories where you felt safe and happy, or a time when things worked out really well for you.
Center the body. Using the 1-2-3-4-5 method, name five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This pulls your focus back to the physical body, helping you shift from freeze into awareness, and eventually action.
Gently move your body. Any kind of gentle movement is an effective way to get out of the freeze response. Get up and walk across the room, shake your arms, circle your shoulders up back and down, turn on some music and sway to the rhythm, or roll out your yoga mat for a quick stretch.
Make exercise enjoyable. I love taking walks, but find it increasingly difficult as the days get colder and darker. To counteract this, I make my walks as enticing as possible by preparing tea in a to-go mug, popping on my headphones, and playing a podcast. What kind of movement do you love, and how can you make it more enjoyable?
Work with a therapist. Therapists trained in somatic experiencing, EMDR, or trauma work can help you understand your responses to stress and triggers. Working within the container of a therapeutic relationship creates a safe space to get curious about our habitual behavior and make strides towards shifting into more adaptive strategies.
Get acupuncture. Acupuncture is proven to help the nervous system move from the sympathetic “fight, flight, freeze, fawn” response into the parasympathetic “rest, digest, heal” response. Acupuncture helps us remember what regulation, relaxation, and flow feel like in the body, and you get to take that with you into your life after your session is complete.
