Have you ever been in a situation so stressful that you felt like you were stuck in molasses? Your mind goes blank, your body feels heavy, and the world seems to move in slow motion. This isn't just another case of the Mondays; it's a real phenomenon called functional freeze. “You just see an endless to-do list, and you just feel so crippled by lethargy and inertia,” explains Linda Frank, an American Dubai-based marketing manager, recounting the numerous times she has been hit by a “functional freeze”. And then, you end up feeling overwhelmed by anxiety and guilt as you got nothing done.
The term has spread like wildfire on TikTok, as many users have flocked to the site to explain their emotions. In a TikTok video, US-based psychotherapist Meg Josephson describes various manifestations of this freeze mode, you feel hungry, but you’re too overwhelmed to decide what to eat. You’ll start a task, but you’ll get distracted and start scrolling on social media. Sometimes, people cancel plans, withdraw from friendships, despite crippling loneliness.
The key feeling: You’re feeling stuck and unable to make a decision. It’s also the experience of shutting down, while staying functional.
Freeze and functional freeze
Freezing is the body’s survival instinct.
“A freeze is a physiological response to when we are so stressed that our body thinks we are in danger and needs to protect us,” explains Kai Simmonds, a Dubai-based mental health practitioner and expert. “So, we go into fight, flight, or freeze mode, as a protection mechanism. This happens when our sympathetic nervous system gets overloaded and starts pumping adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormone into our body,” she says.
Recalling her own experiences, she says, “I used to afraid of speaking in public and in groups. I would freeze or pretend to be sick so I couldn't present, because growing up in school, when children spoke up and raised their hands, people made fun of them. They were laughed at for being a teacher’s pet, or when they got the answers wrong. I grew up seeing this, thinking that speaking in front of others was scary and dangerous - that was a trigger’ for me,” adds Simmonds, revealing that awareness of her triggers helped her battle the fight-or-flight instinct, later in life.
As she explains, when we go through a functional freeze at the workplace, it is because we have been triggered by a previous trauma. “So what's happening is our mind isn't just processing that specific moment but all the other traumas that remind us of that, if we haven’t processed it.
The exhaustion is overwhelming; you might not even be able to perform the most basic tasks, as Lydia Matthews, a Dubai-based clinical psychologist explains. Your brain feels overloaded with too much information. It 'freezes' to protect you. Some will try to continue with the basic tasks, look 'fine' but still not able to do much else. That's the cruelty of a functional freeze.
A freeze is a physiological response to when we are so stressed that our body thinks we are in danger and needs to protect us. So, we go into fight, flight, or freeze mode, as a protection mechanism. This happens when our sympathetic nervous system gets overloaded and starts pumping adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormone into our body...
You feel paralysed by indecision. Immobility hits you, and you’re just unable to do what you could earlier. You become ‘numb’ to the emotions, sensations, and needs, as a result of overwhelm, chronic stress, or emotional exhaustion. “You disconnect from yourself and disengage with the stress, so the ‘shutdown’ freeze response becomes the main operating default, when the stress reaches a certain level,” she says.
The system shuts down
Katherine Lane, a UK-based clinical psychologist, explains the details of the physiological response that a person experiences during this functional freeze. “The autonomous nervous system regulates several bodily functions, including heart rate, digestion and respiratory rate. It has three branches, the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system,” she elaborates.
During a freeze response, the dorsal vagal complex, a component of the parasympathetic nervous system, triggers a response when it perceives a threat as overwhelming. As a result, the metabolic activity, heart rate and blood pressure reduce. And so, disengagement sets in. You become detached.
The problem worsens when people stay stuck in this condition for prolonged periods. "The functional freeze is when individuals are in a state of persistent freeze, which is the result of chronic stress, trauma and unresolved emotional baggage. They will experience dissociation, reduced emotional responsiveness, and will be unable to form meaningful connections with others. This affects different areas of life, including relationships and employment,” she says.
Functional freeze isn't just about staring blankly at a computer screen. It's a more subtle, insidious state, as Matthews describes. You might appear outwardly functional, going through the motions at work and home. But internally, you feel numb and disconnected. Tasks that were once simple become monumental efforts.
Functional freezes are not always visible. The person seems alright; they’re completing their tasks, and usually meeting their deadlines, explains Matthews. However, they can’t meet the basic standards of self-care after reaching home. They’ll eat and sleep as they do normally, and yet, they're not alright.
There are many such examples that she provides. “You see a friend text you and want to respond, but you keep putting it off. The idea of starting a conversation feels exhausting. A workplace example would be, you're in a meeting and need to contribute an idea, but your mind goes blank. You feel like everyone is waiting for you to speak, but you can't formulate a single thought,” she says.
How do you combat a functional freeze?
The first battle is to recognise that you’re in a functional freeze state. “You’ll notice physical and emotional signs, like feeling numb or overwhelmed by simple tasks,” says Lane.
So, try shifting your focus. “Instead of trying to power through the freeze, try a short, grounding activity. Take a few deep breaths, splash cold water on your face, or some basic workouts. Shifting your physical state can help break the mental block,” explains Matthews. Look at your tasks: Don’t try tackling them all at once. “Pick one tiny, achievable step. Washing a single dish or writing one sentence in an email can be enough to get you moving,” adds Simmonds.
However, the psychologists do suggest some long-term strategies. Identify what is triggering you into this state. “Is it work deadlines, social situations, or specific people? Once you identify your triggers, you can develop coping mechanisms to deal with them proactively,” adds Lane.
“Taking care of your physical well-being makes you more resilient to stress and less likely to experience functional freeze,” says Lane.
Lane and Matthews explain how to manage a functional freeze through breathwork techniques:
1) Take a few deep breaths. If you are frozen or feel yourself going into a freeze, taking a few deep breaths can help you interrupt the freeze response and regain control. When you feel the sensation setting in, try to force yourself to take three or four slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth
2) Count to five with each breath. Inhale for five counts, hold the breath for another five counts, then count to five again as you exhale.
3) Start making movements, to break yourself out of the freeze. As you begin to break free from the response, your fight-or-flight response may begin to kick in. If this happens, taking action or making a movement can help you feel calmer, as it will release endorphins that can alleviate stress. You’ll find that you’ll feel calmer by pacing, or running.
