How to Move from Freeze to Action
Read if you want to…
Learn the 6 signs you’re stuck in functional freeze – which of these resonate with you?
Understand what is happening in your body (spoiler: when your brain perceives a threat, it can trigger a freeze response).
Recognise the hidden triggers behind your frozen state.
Discover 5 actionable steps to help you move from freeze to action.
Ever found yourself completely paralysed when facing something important? You know exactly what needs to be done, but you cannot do it for the life of you. Your mind goes foggy, your chest tightens, you have no idea where to start and despite your desire to move forwards, you feel frozen.
6 Signs You're Stuck in Functional Freeze
Here's how to recognise when your "stuck-ness" is actually a freeze response:
1. Simple tasks feel impossibly complex: You're perfectly capable of doing these things in other contexts, but suddenly they feel overwhelming.
2. Your mind goes completely blank: Decision-making becomes impossible, and your thoughts seem to disappear.
3. You space out or dissociate: Time disappears. You might find yourself staring at the wall, completely disconnected.
4. Your body feels heavy and sluggish: Movement feels like an effort. You feel really exhausted, even when you haven't been physically active.
5. Time becomes distorted: Hours pass while you're "thinking about" starting something, yet you’re not actually doing anything.
6. Your emotions feel flat, or you feel disconnected: You feel a sense of numbness.
What's Happening in Your Body
When your brain perceives a threat, it can trigger a freeze response. And when I say threat, it might not actually be a threat to your life but could be potential failure of being judged.
If you’ve heard of fight-or-flight, freeze is the third option your nervous system chooses when fighting or running don’t feel possible. Your system essentially decides, "If I don't move, maybe this danger will pass." Imagine a deer playing dead when they can’t run from a lion anymore.
This response can be incredibly helpful BUT it may be happening when there isn’t really a threat to your life and being able to support yourself to take action is going to be sooo much more helpful for you.
The Hidden Triggers Behind Your Freeze
We can all go into a frozen state due to different triggers but some of the most common I see with my clients include:
Past trauma: Current situations that unconsciously remind you of painful experiences
Perfectionism: The belief that anything less than flawless is unacceptable
Identity threats: Challenges that make you question who you are or your capabilities
Overwhelming complexity: Too many options with no clear next steps
High stakes: When the perceived consequences of failure feel devastating
How to Move from Freeze to Action
This isn't about forcing yourself to just do it or constantly berating yourself for doing nothing. This makes your frozen state so much worse by adding another layer of threat.
Instead, moving through your frozen state to action is about gentle awareness and gradual nervous system regulation. Here's what I recommend:
1. Acknowledge What's Happening
When you notice freeze signs, simply name it: "I'm ok, I’m just experiencing a freeze response right now, which is my nervous system trying to protect me".
This simple acknowledgment begins to re-engage the rational part of your brain that goes offline during freeze and helps you move into a place of supporting yourself rather than feeling hijacked by the frozen state.
2. Reconnect with Your Body
Freeze can disconnect you from your physical sensations so try some of the below techniques to bring yourself back into your body.
Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly and feel your breath go slowly in and out
Feel your feet firmly planted on the ground, take your shoes and socks off if you can
Gently tap your collarbone or give your shoulders a squeeze
Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste.
3. Create a Sense of Safety
Freeze happens because your system perceives danger, so I want you to connect to your sense of safety. Ask yourself: "What would help me feel safer right now?"
This could be:
Moving to a different, more comfortable environment
Calling a supportive friend
Writing down your fears to get them out of your head
Reminding yourself of past successes and challenges you’ve overcome
Connecting with nature
4. Take One Tiny Micro-Step
Once you start to feel a little calmer and more present, think about what small step you can take that won’t trigger your threat response. Choose the tiniest possible action, something that could just take you a couple of minutes.
Your micro-step could be:
Setting a timer for just three minutes of work
Writing down only the first sentence
Gathering materials/documents/information you'll need to start
Sending one simple email related to the project
5. Celebrate Yourself
This is key! Your nervous system learns through positive reinforcement, so acknowledging and celebrating each tiny step, is teaching it that action is safe. You are creating a new pattern of trust in my capacity to act.
This could simply be telling yourself "I did it, I moved forward despite feeling frozen". How can you reinforce and celebrate what you’ve just done?
I know what it can be like to feel completely frozen, overwhelmed and unable to move forwards in your day (or in life in general!)
It’s exhuasting but it doesn’t have to be this way…
Try these steps and remember, this is about supporting yourself to gently move through the frozen state, not force yourself through.
If it feels too challenging to do on your own know that you don’t have to. Feel free to reach out to me and book a free discovery call to discuss how I can help you.
Always supporting and cheering you on, Elyssa x
