Coming Unstuck from Functional Freeze
- Brainz Magazine
- Jun 17
- 7 min read
Written by Petra Brunnbauer, Mind-Body Coach
Petra Brunnbauer is an award-winning Mind-Body Coach, founder of The Jōrni® well-being 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.
Functional Freeze can feel like a confusing and contradictory experience, especially when we are still managing daily responsibilities. We may appear composed and productive on the outside, yet inside, there is exhaustion, brain fog, emotional disconnection, and overwhelm. The goal is to build a more supportive relationship with chronic stress over time. In this article, we will explore what can help us shift out of Functional Freeze, drawing on nervous system regulation, embodied awareness, and shifts in mindset that support a deeper sense of presence and possibility.
Understanding Functional Freeze
Functional Freeze is not just a reaction to chronic stress. It is a mixed nervous system response that can leave us going through the motions while feeling emotionally disconnected, physically depleted, and mentally exhausted. On the surface, we may still be working, parenting, and functioning. Underneath, we may feel like we have checked out entirely.
Functional Freeze often develops when stress has been prolonged and there is no clear end in sight. When we cannot run or fight, and we cannot truly rest either, the body finds a middle ground that keeps us alive but also numbs what we cannot resolve.
What helps us shift is not necessarily a single event or a breakthrough moment. It is the gradual building of awareness, regulation, and connection, inside and outside.
The core elements of support
Awareness: Learning to recognize the patterns and sensations that indicate we are in Functional Freeze.
Nervous system regulation: Creating space for the body to return to a state of balance, rather than staying locked in high alert or shutdown.
Connection: Rebuilding trust in our own experience and slowly reconnecting with others and the world around us.
One place to begin is simply by observing. Tracking physical cues, emotional experiences, and energy levels throughout the day can help identify patterns over time. This kind of noticing creates space for understanding, without pressure to change anything right away. Awareness itself can be a powerful way to return to a sense of inner reconnection.
Coming unstuck from Functional Freeze
1. Start with small, consistent actions
Large changes can feel overwhelming when we are in Functional Freeze. Small, repeatable actions help restore a sense of movement and self-direction. We begin to build confidence in our ability to influence our experience, even in subtle ways.
This might look like getting dressed before noon, stepping outside to feel the sun, or clearing one small surface in your home. When the nervous system is in shutdown or in partial collapse, even a tiny action signals life and momentum.
2. Reconnect with your body through movement
The body may feel distant, disconnected, or unfamiliar when we are stuck. Gentle, mindful movement helps re-establish internal awareness and gives our nervous system a chance to discharge stored stress. The goal here is to create a small micro-moment of presence.
Movement can be as simple as swaying to music, stretching in bed, or walking around the block. What matters is choosing something that feels manageable and paying attention to physical and emotional sensations while moving.
3. Support the nervous system in regulation
Functional Freeze is often experienced through a mix of activation and shutdown. Practices that bring the body back into a regulated state can begin to shift this loop. Breath and sensory practices are especially useful.
For example, try a slow, steady breath with an extended exhale, or place one hand on your chest and one on your belly and notice the movement beneath your hands. Sensory orientation, like looking around the room, naming textures, and noticing temperature, can also help restore a sense of “coming back into your body”.
4. Make room for emotional expression
Emotions very often disconnect in Functional Freeze. The nervous system is busy ensuring our survival and has adapted by simply numbing emotions out since they are an unnecessary energy expense. Slowly and gently, we can begin to notice what we are feeling again.
You might start by journaling and noticing what arises in your body when you write. Creative practices like painting, music, or dance can also help express emotions that do not have words yet. Just be present with what comes up and give it space to be.
5. Create predictability and structure
Consistency helps restore a sense of safety to the nervous system. Simple routines can reduce background stress and help us build a steady internal rhythm. These routines do not need to be rigid or complicated and you can just create micro-moments again.
It might mean starting the day with the same cup of tea, checking in with a journal at the same time each afternoon, or ending the day with the same three steps before sleep. Predictability tells the body, "You are safe enough to rest here."
6. Reintroduce experiences of joy and play
Joy can feel inaccessible in Functional Freeze, but chances are it isn’t actually gone. The nervous system simply needs time to reorient to what feels good and safe. By inviting in small moments of pleasure, we begin to remember what it is like to feel engaged again.
This could be a favorite childhood hobby, a silly video that makes you laugh, or listening to music that lights you up. These moments help the nervous system remember joy without any responsibility attached.
7. Strengthen your support system
Connection supports regulation and better health. But when we have been in Functional Freeze for a while, it can feel too vulnerable or even impossible to reach out. The key is to begin gently and choose a connection that feels steady, safe, and reciprocal.
This might be a family member who is familiar with your journey, a close friend who simply listens, a practitioner who works with trauma-informed care, or an online group that feels like home. You do not need to have all the words. Reaching out in a way that feels manageable is a meaningful start.
8. Support sleep through regulation
Sleep is a cornerstone of healing and wellbeing and it’s usually one of the first things to become disrupted in Functional Freeze. Even if we feel exhausted, the body may stay wired, anxious, or agitated in ways that make deep rest feel impossible. The challenge is not simply behavioral. It reflects a deeper disruption in the nervous system's ability to find regulation.
Rather than trying to force rest at night, it can be more helpful to support regulation during the day. Creating micro-moments of safety, movement, and sensory grounding throughout your waking hours helps signal to your nervous system that it is no longer in immediate threat. Over time, these adjustments begin to shape how the body prepares for sleep.
9. Soften the inner narrative
When we are stuck in Functional Freeze, the mind often turns on us. Thoughts like "why can't I just get it together" or "I should be able to handle this" only deepen the sense of failure and overwhelm. Bringing warmth and compassion into our internal dialogue makes space for change.
Start by noticing your tone of voice when you speak to yourself. Then practice shifting the tone. You can say, "This is hard right now," or "I am doing what I can with what I have." These shifts support the nervous system and help build trust from within.
10. Know when to seek help
There may be times when what you are carrying feels too tangled to sort through on your own. In those moments, working with someone trained in somatic practices, trauma-informed care, or nervous system education can offer a sense of understanding and direction that is difficult to access alone.
The presence of a steady, attuned practitioner can help you explore your experience at a pace that feels supportive, especially when your internal signals feel unclear or overwhelming. With the right support, it often becomes easier to notice what is happening in your nervous system and begin changing those patterns.
The transformative possibilities of change
As you begin to make shifts, no matter how small, you may start to notice glimmers of something new. A little more energy. A deeper breath. A moment of clarity. These experiences are all signals that your nervous system is learning what is possible again.
Change does not mean stress disappears entirely. But it does mean you have more capacity to meet it and live fully despite it.
Over time, you may find:
A stronger ability to stay present without shutting down
A clearer connection to your own needs and signals
More meaningful relationships are built on authenticity
A steadier sense of internal safety, even in external stress
Begin where you are
There is no perfect way to begin. Just start where you are, with what feels available right now. Maybe it is a breath. A journal entry. A conversation. A walk. A quiet moment.
Each small shift helps rebuild connection and capacity in your nervous system, even if change feels slow to start with.
When you are ready to explore further, The Functional Freeze Formula offers resources, a framework, and practices designed to help you deepen your understanding and strengthen your capacity to manage chronic stress.
Petra Brunnbauer, Mind-Body Coach
Petra Brunnbauer is an award-winning Mind-Body Coach, founder of The Jōrni® well-being 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.
