10 Strategies for Managing Functional Freeze
- Brainz Magazine
- Mar 12
- 8 min read
Written by Petra Brunnbauer, Wellbeing Coach
Petra Brunnbauer is an award-winning Wellbeing Coach, founder of The Jōrni® wellbeing platform, and host of the globally-ranked Jōrni Podcast. With a Master’s in Psychology and as a doctoral student in Mind-Body Medicine, Petra is committed to advancing holistic approaches to health and healing.
Have you ever gone through your day checking off tasks, doing what’s expected, but feeling completely detached inside? You might think you’re just exhausted or overwhelmed, but this could be something deeper: Functional Freeze. This mixed nervous system response to chronic stress can leave you stuck between activation and shutdown, like having one foot on the gas and the other on the brake.
10 strategies for managing Functional Freeze
1. Build awareness of Functional Freeze
Functional Freeze can feel like being trapped in a fog, emotionally disconnected, mentally sluggish, and physically drained. It arises as your nervous system’s response to chronic stress, getting stuck between activation and shutdown. Recognizing when and how Functional Freeze affects you is an essential first step, but it’s important to understand that managing this response is a gradual process that requires time and patience.
Building awareness is the first step toward regulating and healing your nervous system. By tracking your experiences and identifying patterns, you can begin to notice the signals and triggers that accompany Functional Freeze. While this recognition doesn’t immediately resolve it, it allows you to develop a deeper understanding of your body’s responses and create strategies to work with your nervous system more effectively in the future.
Keep a journal or tracker to note moments when you feel stuck, numb, or exhausted. Reflect on what was happening before those feelings arose. Were you juggling too many tasks, in a loud or overstimulating environment, or managing a conflict? Over time, these observations will help you identify patterns and triggers. As your nervous system becomes more regulated, this awareness can help you respond earlier with grounding techniques or adjustments to reduce the likelihood of becoming deeply stuck in Functional Freeze. This is the first step in a longer journey toward working with your nervous system.
2. Engage in intentional breathwork
Functional Freeze impacts your body’s natural rhythms, including your breathing. Often, this results in shallow, rapid breaths that signal danger to your nervous system, keeping you locked in the cycle of chronic stress. Intentional breathwork can help interrupt this feedback loop, sending signals of safety and calm to your body and brain.
Breathwork works by engaging the vagus nerve, a key player in nervous system regulation. Slow, intentional breathing helps shift your body out of survival mode and toward a more balanced state. While this won’t immediately resolve Functional Freeze, practicing regular breathwork can gradually improve your body’s capacity to regulate stress over time.
Try placing one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe deeply into your belly, letting it rise as you inhale and gently fall as you exhale. This signals safety to your nervous system. As you inhale through your nose, allow your belly to expand while keeping your chest still. Exhale slowly and fully through your mouth. Aim to practice this for three to five minutes, once or twice a day. Over time, this practice can help your nervous system recognize safety and develop a more balanced response to stress.
3. Embrace gentle movement
Functional Freeze can leave you feeling disconnected from your body, as though your physical self is running on autopilot while your mind feels stuck or overwhelmed. Gentle movement practices like yoga, tai chi, somatic exercises, and psychomotor movements can help re-establish this mind-body connection. These forms of movement work with your nervous system to release stored tension, improve circulation, and promote a sense of safety within your body.
Unlike high-intensity exercise, which can sometimes exacerbate stress, these gentle approaches activate your parasympathetic nervous system, encouraging calm and regulation. Over time, regular practice helps rebuild your body’s capacity to handle stress without becoming overwhelmed. Movement becomes a tool not just for physical health but for nervous system healing and emotional balance.
Movement doesn’t have to be a full yoga session or a long walk. Even stretching your arms overhead, rocking side to side, or shaking out your hands can help release some of the "stuck" energy in your system. Try slow, mindful practices like stretching, tai chi, or somatic exercises that focus on how your body feels as it moves. Restorative or yin yoga can help you relax and ground yourself, while psychomotor movements like rhythmic walking or repetitive gestures may offer soothing sensations. Start small and listen to your body, any amount of movement is a step toward reconnecting with yourself. Pay attention to sensations in your body, and use this time to cultivate a sense of presence and safety.
4. Practice grounding techniques
Functional Freeze often leaves you feeling disconnected, as though your body and mind are out of sync with the present moment. Grounding techniques help bridge this gap by using active, sensory-focused practices to reconnect you with your environment. For people in Functional Freeze, grounding is most effective when it involves small, intentional movements or engaging with external stimuli rather than stillness, which can feel overwhelming.
Grounding works by shifting your focus to manageable physical sensations, giving your nervous system an anchor to hold onto. Over time, these techniques can help you feel more present and create a sense of safety within your body without forcing you into stillness, which might exacerbate stress.
Pick up a small, familiar object, like your phone, a pen, a key, or a piece of fruit such as an orange. As you hold it, notice its weight, texture, color, smell, and temperature. Move your fingers along its surface, paying attention to any ridges, valleys, or curves. This simple movement engages your focus while grounding you in the present through touch and motion.
5. Reframe your relationship with stress
Stress is often seen as the enemy, a force to avoid or eliminate. However, in Functional Freeze, this avoidance can keep you stuck in a cycle of overwhelm as your nervous system becomes hypersensitive to any perceived threat. Reframing stress as a signal from your body, rather than something to fight against, is a key step in shifting how you navigate it.
When stress arises, your body is trying to communicate a need. Functional Freeze intensifies when these signals are ignored or suppressed. By learning to respond to stress with curiosity rather than resistance, you can begin to move from survival mode to a more regulated state. This lays the groundwork for a more balanced relationship with stress over time.
The next time you notice tension or overwhelm, pause and ask yourself, “What is my body asking for right now?” Instead of pushing through, experiment with small, supportive actions like stepping outside for fresh air, drinking water, or stretching. Over time, this practice helps you view chronic stress as a signal to respond with care, build resilience, and work with your nervous system.
7. Reconnect with joy and play
Functional Freeze often disconnects you from the activities and experiences that once brought joy. When your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, engaging with hobbies or creativity can feel impossible, leaving life hollow and monotonous. Reintroducing moments of joy and play, even in small doses, helps remind your body and mind that safety and enjoyment are possible.
Joyful activities work by activating the social engagement system, a key part of your nervous system responsible for connection and calm. This doesn’t mean forcing yourself into fun but experimenting with low-pressure activities that spark curiosity or laughter. Over time, these moments of joy can help shift your body out of survival mode and rebuild your capacity for pleasure and engagement.
Start with one simple, low-stakes activity that feels inviting, such as doodling, listening to a favorite song, or watching a funny video. The goal is simply to enjoy the process. Gradually, you can experiment with more involved activities like revisiting an old hobby or trying something new. Focus on how the activity feels rather than the outcome, it’s about reconnecting with your spark in a way that feels safe and accessible.
8. Build emotional resilience through expression
In Functional Freeze, emotions can feel muted or overwhelming, either difficult to access or impossible to process. Suppressed emotions can further amplify the cycle of chronic stress as your nervous system struggles to reconcile unresolved feelings. Emotional expression is a way to process what’s beneath the surface, helping you release pent-up tension and create space for healing.
Expressing emotions doesn’t mean forcing yourself to relive painful experiences. Instead, it involves finding safe, creative outlets to acknowledge what you’re feeling without judgment. This process engages the parts of your brain responsible for emotional regulation and reconnects you with your internal world, gently building resilience over time.
Explore small, manageable ways to express your emotions. Try journaling as a starting point. You can use prompts like “What am I feeling right now?” or “What do I need today?” If writing feels too structured, experiment with creative outlets like painting, doodling, or playing music. The key is to focus on the process, not the result. This practice helps you connect with your emotions safely, allowing your nervous system to release some of the energy it has been holding.
9. Cultivate connection
Functional Freeze often leaves people feeling isolated and disconnected, even in the presence of others. The overwhelm and exhaustion that come with this response can make social interaction feel like yet another demand on your already depleted energy. Additionally, difficulty setting boundaries may lead to resentment or overcommitment, further straining your relationships and sense of self.
Cultivating connection doesn’t mean pushing yourself into social situations when it feels overwhelming. Instead, it’s about finding small, meaningful ways to engage with others that feel safe and supportive. Building connections, even slowly, activates your nervous system’s social engagement system, fostering a sense of calm and belonging.
Start with low-pressure connections that prioritize quality over quantity. This might mean sending a text to someone you trust, scheduling a brief coffee date with a friend, or simply being present with a pet. If you feel up to it, you can practice setting small boundaries, like saying, “I need a little time to myself right now,” to protect your energy while staying connected. Over time, these intentional steps can help you rebuild relationships and create a support network that nurtures your well-being.
10. Build a toolbox of supportive practices
Managing Functional Freeze will likely require more than a single approach. One consideration might be gradually building a set of tools and strategies that work for your unique needs. Over time, this toolbox can help you navigate chronic stress, improve your resilience, and reconnect with a sense of balance. Think of it as a collection of small, accessible practices you can lean on when you need them most.
A toolbox provides small, accessible ways to support yourself when needed. Some days, journaling might help. Other days, it might be putting on music and moving your body for five minutes. The key is knowing you have choices instead of feeling stuck. Experiment with different approaches to discover what feels most helpful in the moment. As your understanding of Functional Freeze grows, your toolbox will evolve to meet your needs, empowering you to work with your nervous system rather than against it.
Start by identifying one or two strategies from this article that resonate with you. Perhaps it’s practicing grounding techniques or exploring gentle movement. Gradually add more tools as you feel ready, and give yourself permission to adjust or adapt them over time. Remember, this is your journey, and every small step contributes to a stronger foundation for managing stress.
Take the first step
Functional Freeze likely won’t resolve overnight, and there might not be a single solution that works for everyone. Small, consistent micro-shifts can help you reconnect with yourself, build resilience, and work with your nervous system instead of feeling trapped by it.
The Functional Freeze Formula is a groundbreaking methodology for breaking free from chronic stress overload, regulating your nervous system, and reclaiming your energy. This holistic approach takes you step by step through understanding, managing, and healing Functional Freeze so you can stop just going through the motions, move past the overwhelm and anxiety, clear the brain fog, and finally feel present, focused, and in control of your life again.
Petra Brunnbauer, Wellbeing Coach
Petra Brunnbauer is an award-winning Wellbeing Coach, founder of The Jōrni® wellbeing platform, and host of the globally-ranked Jōrni Podcast. With a Master’s in Psychology and as a doctoral student in Mind-Body Medicine, Petra is committed to advancing holistic approaches to health and healing.
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