Freeze Response (what is it?).
Have you ever found yourself completely shut down? Mentally foggy, physically drained, emotionally flat? Unable to move forward, no matter how much you want to?
That’s not laziness. That’s your nervous system trying to protect you.
Recently, after some intense personal shifts, I noticed myself slipping into what’s known as the freeze response, part of our hardwired survival system. Despite years of work managing anxiety, and despite how transformational nutritional therapy has been in my own healing, my body reminded me: we don’t heal in a straight line.
So, what is freeze mode?
The freeze response is one of the four primary autonomic reactions to perceived threat:
Fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.
Where fight and flight come with activation (increased heart rate, stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol), freeze is the body’s version of “play dead.” It’s a full-body attempt to shut down sensory input and preserve energy.
Neurologically, the dorsal vagal complex — part of the parasympathetic nervous system — kicks in. Heart rate slows, digestion halts, blood flow to the extremities decreases, and cognition becomes impaired.
You might feel:
▪️ Emotionally numb
▪️ Easily overwhelmed
▪️ Stuck in place, unable to make decisions
▪️ Physically heavy, fatigued, or foggy
This state isn’t a flaw—it’s an evolutionary response to protect us from trauma or overwhelm when fight or flight are no longer viable options.
From a nutritional therapy perspective, underlying drivers like low blood sugar, chronic inflammation, poor vagal tone, or nutrient depletion (particularly of magnesium, B vitamins, and protein) can make the body more vulnerable to dysregulation and trigger a freeze response more easily.
The good news?
We can nourish and regulate the nervous system.
Through targeted nutrition, blood sugar support, breathwork, cold exposure, safe movement, and building body awareness, we can slowly bring the system back online.
How to Shift Gently Out of Freeze (Without Forcing It)
If this resonates, here are some nervous-system-nourishing steps that can help you move through freeze, slowly and compassionately:
🌀 Slow movement: Gentle walking, rocking, stretching
🌀 Cold exposure: A splash of cold water or a cold shower burst can stimulate the vagus nerve
🌀 Breathwork: Try extended exhales or humming
🌀 Nutrition: Balance blood sugar, support minerals (especially magnesium and potassium), and include sufficient protein
🌀 Soothing touch: Holding your own hand, light pressure, or lying under a weighted blanket
🌀 Connection: Talking to a safe person, being with animals, or even grounding in nature
🌀 Sensory input: Smell something lovely, light a candle, listen to music you love
You don’t have to “snap out” of freeze. That just creates more pressure. Instead, think of it like thawing. Slowly. Gently. Safely.
