Freeze Response
Understanding the Freeze Response
Have you ever noticed when something jolting, offsetting or traumatizing happens you may...
run, either physically or mentally, or
retaliate or
stop in your tracks and not do a single thing.
When you stop in your tracks and stay stuck this what we call the freeze response.
The freeze response can happen when we get stuck in the moment of trauma. Just think of a deer in headlights, that deer is frozen. When animals experience a frozen moment in time once the danger passes they usually run and allow themselves to expel the trapped energy of the freeze.
If you've ever been in a motor vehicle accident, major or minor, you might describe a sense of detachment or shock. These reactions are that of the freeze response. Once back in your body the question is, what do you do? Most of the time, we humans don't allow ourselves the opportunity to get the excess energy out like the deer mentioned above. Many of us have trapped energy and it is important to get it out. Myofascial release allows for this energy to shift around, it allows for movement, it helps our bodies experience a thaw from the freeze.
My Personal Freezing During Covid-19 Stay At Home
During the stay at home order in Kansas I had weeks of freezing and thawing. My brain seemed like it stopped working so many times. There was no drive to move forward. There were days and sometimes full weeks that I didn't know what I was really doing. I would think, "before this began I was making many strides in assisting and helping my clients as-well-as growing my business." And then, and now??? And so, my brain and spirit kept freezing. I eventually let go and told myself it is okay just feel and do what I can. Nearly daily I would give myself an hour of myofascial release self-treatment to let my body discover where it needs to go, tap into what I feel on all levels and to simply let go and thaw!!!
Here are a video showing the freeze response. I highly recommend you to check it out!!!