What is “Functional Freeze”?

Fortunately, talking about mental health is no longer taboo, but even still, it’s a complicated subject to navigate. This is especially true if you aren’t quite sure how or why you feel a certain way. If you happen to feel like you’ve checked out of everyday life, whether you’re socializing less, experiencing constant anxiety, feeling numb, or “doomscrolling” every evening, these tips might help you. These feelings, along with a host of other bothersome symptoms, can be signs of something called “functional freeze.”

Responses to Stressors

When faced with stressors, our bodies can respond in a few different ways. You’ve likely heard of fight-or-flight responses, which are natural reactions driven by your sympathetic nervous system, the mode that prepares your body for danger. However, these aren’t the only two sympathetic nervous system responses. There are two other reactions, “fawn” and “freeze.” Our response to stressors can be any of these four options or a hybrid of several.

Of these responses to danger, “fight” and “flight” are self-explanatory. The less-talked-about “fawn” involves submitting to or trying to appease the source of danger. “Freeze” is also not often discussed, but it is among the most popular responses. When someone freezes in the face of stress or danger, their body goes into an involuntary pause. Think of the actors’ reactions in Jurassic Park freezing as a Tyrannosaurus rex approaches. Unfortunately, freezing manifests itself in all sorts of ways — and it doesn’t take a dinosaur to trigger it.

Functional Freeze

Functional freeze is a less obvious state of emotion that impacts sufferers mentally and physically but without showing the classic symptoms of textbook anxiety or depression. It isn’t yet a clinical term, but it’s gaining traction in the world of mental health because so many of us experience this phenomenon. It’s a stress response that causes you to freeze mentally, physically, and emotionally while still going through the motions of daily life. If everyday tasks, meeting up with friends, and texting back have become taxing, you might be experiencing functional freeze. 

Also referred to as being on “autopilot,” functional freeze isn’t a total shutdown. Sufferers retain basic levels of function without causing concern to those around them. However, those suffering in silence feel the difference, but they can’t pinpoint what’s wrong. “People are able to engage in kind of the bare minimum basic functioning, so still going to work and engaging with others, but performance may slip,” explains psychologist T.M. Robinson-Mosley. Stress, burnout, and unresolved trauma are the most prevalent sources of functional freeze.

Signs You’re in Functional Freeze

There are several telltale signs of functional freeze, although it does look different for everyone. If one or more of these situations describe you, you could be in functional freeze.

You Can’t Shake Constant Anxiety 

Do you feel like something terrible is always about to happen? This unwarranted sense of impending doom can be debilitating, and with no discernible cause, pinpointing the source and fixing it seems impossible. This ongoing, low-level anxiety is a hallmark of functional freeze. 

You Procrastinate

You let daily chores, work assignments, self-care activities, and other tasks fall by the wayside, even though you want and need to do them. Procrastinating becomes your go-to, resulting in things piling up and making you even more anxious. Binge-watching television and scrolling through social media are two of the most popular forms of functional freeze procrastination.

You Avoid Socializing

Weekends of canceled plans or dozens of ignored calls and messages could be a sign of functional freeze. When you’re in freeze mode, your need to isolate yourself from others skyrockets, and you’ll be more introverted than ever. This can also look like “crashing” or shutting down when you return home from work or social functions.

You Feel Exhausted

If you can’t seem to bring yourself to the gym even though you know you’d feel better, you could be in functional freeze. Even everyday physical activity, such as walking your dog or taking out the trash, can be jarring. You find that you want to stay inside on the couch, even though it ultimately makes you feel worse. 

You Lack Emotion

Things that once made you feel excited or happy now fall short. If your emotions feel muted, it could be a functional freeze. This is because as you disconnect from social connections, daily tasks, and everyday life, you feel disassociated from yourself and your surroundings as anxiety continues to build. The one emotion you probably do feel is a sense of being overwhelmed.

How to “Unfreeze”

It’s important to remember that functional freeze is not a permanent state. With the right strategies, you can overcome it and regain control of your life. To “unfreeze,” you must activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which allows the body to transition from sympathetic mode into a calmer, more relaxed state. Get back on track with these helpful tips.

Get Moving

Not only is exercise good for your physical health, but it’s just as beneficial for mental health. Stress relief and improved mood are just the tip of the iceberg regarding the benefits. Light activities, including stretching, yoga, or walking, can soothe your body. Some sufferers of functional freeze have found success in joining gyms, classes, or even local running clubs. A defined workout routine allows you to build your daily schedule around it, making you more likely to make time for it. 

Slow Down

We know what you’re thinking — “You just told us to keep moving!” — but maintaining a healthy lifestyle and positive mindset is about balance. Deep breathing and meditation are proven to deliver many physical and mental benefits. They can be done anywhere, anytime, making them accessible to anyone stuck in functional freeze. Breathing exercises and meditation raise awareness of your mind and body connection, allowing you to be in touch with your emotions and surroundings and help ease feelings of dissociation that functional freeze can cause.

Go Outside

Breathing fresh air and reconnecting with nature is proven to reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels (a stress hormone). It also provides a change of environment, which can help snap you out of your couch-dwelling session. Research shows that one hour a day of “grounding” — walking barefoot in the grass — can boost mood and promote relaxation.

Get Organized

Making to-do lists, journaling, following a schedule, and other forms of daily organization can help you fight functional freeze. Setting goals will help increase your motivation and build healthy habits to help pull you out of freeze mode. 

It’s essential to be aware of and manage the symptoms of functional freeze. Not only are they disruptive to daily life, but they can manifest further, resulting in other forms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. If you find yourself struggling to “unfreeze,” talk to a trusted mental health professional for help.

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