You wake up tired. Again. Eight, maybe nine hours of sleep, and still you awaken feeling heavy, as if the night gave you nothing back. Your morning coffee barely makes a dent. Throughout the day, you check off tasks—answering emails, attending meetings, making dinner—but it all feels mechanical, like you’re watching someone else live your life.
Sound familiar? You might be experiencing something called “functional freeze”. This phenomenon describes a state where you’re moving through life with little emotional response: you feel internally shut down. You’re present, but not really there.
What is functional freeze exactly? How is it linked to mental health? And what can you do to get out of it? Keep on reading to learn more.
What Is Functional Freeze?
Our nervous system has four primary responses to perceived threat: fight, flight, fawn, and freeze.
These instinctive anxiety reactions are survival mechanisms designed to protect us when we feel unsafe. However, when the nervous system chronically protects us from danger , aka, dysregulated—often due to chronic stress or complex trauma – these anxiety responses can become stuck or blended in maladaptive ways.
Functional freeze is one such blended state. It occurs when the body cannot escape or fight the threat, yet must continue functioning in daily life – meet obligations, show up for others, maintain a routine. Rather than the full paralysis of a classic freeze response, functional freeze can get us stuck in a state of shutdown, immobilization, or dissociation.
In simpler terms, a functional freeze occurs when the nervous system is pushing the gas and the brake at the same time:
- The “gas” keeps you moving—going to work, fulfilling duties, staying outwardly functional.
- The “brake” numbs emotions and sensations to protect you from overwhelm.
That is why the term “functional” applies—you are still doing—while “freeze” describes the inner shutdown. The blending of these states prevents both full rest and full engagement, leaving many people in a persistent “tired but wired” condition.
Common Signs of Functional Freeze
Recognizing functional freeze in yourself can be challenging precisely because you continue functioning. You may appear outwardly capable—completing tasks, meeting external expectations, and maintaining relationships. But on the inside, you’re just numb, disconnected, or profoundly exhausted.
Here’s what functional freeze can look like in your daily life [1]:
| Symptoms | Characteristics | Examples |
Physical Signs |
|
You wake after 8 hours of sleep and still feel drained; coffee seems to have no effect. |
Cognitive Signs |
|
You spend hours scrolling your phone when you should be relaxing — or you decline social invitations and don’t know why. Your mind simply won’t cooperate. Instead of acting, you remain paralyzed. |
Emotional Sings |
|
You’re doing all the “right” things for your mental health—exercise, therapy, journaling, meditation—but experiencing no internal shift. |
What Causes Functional Freeze
Functional freeze doesn’t usually appear overnight. Instead of being set off by one major trauma, it evolves gradually—often in response to long-term stress, childhood emotional neglect, or persistent overwhelm.
Usually, it’s the chronic or repeated experiences that overwhelm your nervous system’s capacity to cope, such as:
- Growing up in chaotic, unpredictable, or emotionally unsafe households.
- Consistently pushing through exhaustion, ignoring one’s needs and overriding the body’s stress signals in order to meet external demands – common among high achievers, perfectionists, or people pleasers.
- Working in professions that demand emotional suppression while maintaining performance, think healthcare workers, teachers, social workers, lawyers, and others in high-stakes or caregiving positions.
- Relationships where vulnerability feels dangerous—whether romantic, familial, or professional—keep your nervous system on guard.
- Constant digital stimulation, multitasking, insufficient rest, and pressure to perform at all times, aka the reality of our modern life.
How to Get Out of Functional Freeze?
Step 1: Gentle nervous system regulation
When you notice yourself feeling disconnected or numb, try the 5-4-3-2-1 technique & identify: 5 objects you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 sounds you can hear, 2 aromas you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
Explore different ways to reconnect with your body and the present moment, like:
- Diaphragmatic breathing,
- Mindfulness & meditation,
- Humming your favorite songs [2],
- Stimulating the vagus nerve,
- Gentle movement, such as walking barefoot, yoga nidra, or stretching.
These signal to your nervous system: “It’s safe to slow down and re-engage with myself, and the world around me.”
Step 2: Go back to the basics
Countless studies show how maintaining healthy habits improves the quality of our lives. Introduce more stability and strengthen your resilience by focusing on:
- Consistent sleep,
- Moderate regular exercise,
- Caffeine/alcohol reduction,
- Limiting your screen time,
- Reconnecting with nature.
Step 3: Engage in hands-on creativity
Research from 2024 [3] demonstrates that creating something by hand builds resilience and helps the nervous system respond more flexibly to stressors.
You don’t need to be skilled—simply working with your hands (coloring, pottery, crocheting) or moving a colored pencil across paper for twenty minutes can make a meaningful difference.
Step 4: Practice slowing down
Thawing out of functional freeze is not about “doing more” — it is about feeling more, connecting more, restoring vitality. Celebrate even small steps, use self-compassion, and make space to rest and restore your resources.
Step 5: Get professional support
If you recognize yourself in this description of the functional freeze, please know that professional support can make a profound difference. While these self-help strategies are valuable, working with a trauma-informed mental health professional provides the safety and guidance needed for deeper healing.
You deserve more than just making it through the day. You deserve to feel joy without it being muted, to rest without carrying guilt.
Get in touch with us & let’s move together from chaos toward connection.
Remember: we’re here to walk alongside you, assisting you at every step.
References:
[1] Hashemi, M. M., Zhang, W., Kaldewaij, R., Koch, S. B. J., Smit, A., Figner, B., Jonker, R., Klumpers, F., & Roelofs, K. (2021). Human defensive freezing: Associations with hair cortisol and trait anxiety. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 133, 105417.
[2] Haeyen, S. (2024). A theoretical exploration of polyvagal theory in creative arts and psychomotor therapies for emotion regulation in stress and trauma. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1382007.
[3] Trivedi, G., Sharma, K., Saboo, B., Kathirvel, S., Konat, A., Zapadia, V., Prajapati, P. J., Benani, U., Patel, K., & Shah, S. (2023). Humming (simple Bhramari pranayama) as a stress buster: A Holter-based study to analyze heart rate variability (HRV) parameters during Bhramari, physical activity, emotional stress, and sleep. Cureus, 15(4).
