Do you ever feel like you’re just going through the motions in life, even feeling a bit numb to what’s happening around you, like you’re not really inside your body? It’s something everyone experiences from time to time — and there’s an actual term for it.
If you’re on TikTok, you might’ve heard the phrase ‘functional freeze‘ making the rounds recently — and while the label might be new, the experience itself is anything but. It’s when you appear to be functioning, but on the inside, you’re emotionally and mentally shut down, as if you’re running on autopilot, says Willough Jenkins, MD, child psychiatrist and associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego.
Meet the experts: Olivia Verhulst, LMHC, is a New York City-based psychotherapist. Willough Jenkins, MD, is a child psychiatrist and an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego.
While it’s not an official diagnosis or condition, functional freeze could be thought of as a trauma response to chronic stress. ‘Right now, people are feeling under so much constant pressure, and their nervous systems are in such a constant state of heightened arousal,’ explains New York City-based psychotherapist Olivia Verhulst, LMHC. ‘Being in this state of hyperarousal isn’t sustainable, and that increases the opportunity for this kind of freeze to happen.’
Ahead, find out the signs you’re experiencing a functional freeze response, and what to do about it, according to experts.
What causes a functional freeze?
To understand what leads to a functional freeze, it helps to first understand the concept of allostatic load, which is the cumulative toll that chronic stress and repeated life challenges take on the body and mind, says Verhulst.
As stress continues to pile up over time, our allostatic load increases, but our capacity to adapt to new stressors decreases. This leaves us more vulnerable to freezing or shutting down in the face of additional pressure.
Imagine you’re already handling tight deadlines at work, your mom is asking you to plan a birthday party for your sister, and now you’re dealing with an unexpected car issue. In isolation, each of these might be manageable. But as they stack up — and your nervous system doesn’t get a chance to reset — your ability to cope lessens, which is when a functional freeze response can occur.
When you freeze, elements of your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ response) and the parasympathetic nervous system (often referred to as the ‘rest and digest’ system) both become activated. (Typically, they operate in balance or alternation instead.)
This creates a state of high physiological arousal (from the sympathetic system) combined with a sense of immobility or shutdown (from the parasympathetic system), explains Verhulst. This mixed nervous system response can then leave a person feeling ‘stuck’ — both mentally and physically — as the body remains in a state of stress. It’s the nervous system’s way of trying to protect you when neither fighting nor fleeing feels possible or effective.
Experiencing a functional freeze can happen for a number of reasons, including:
- Childhood trauma: Underlying, unaddressed, or unhealed trauma can cause a functional freeze, especially if you had parents who didn’t encourage feeling your emotions, says Verhulst.
- High chronic stress load: It all goes back to that allostatic load, explains Verhulst — too many stressors on your body can lead to a functional freeze state. This can be from work, a toxic relationship, or simply the buildup of various stressors over time.
5 signs you’re in a functional freeze
While functional freeze can look different for everyone, here are a few common symptoms, according to Jenkins and Verhulst:
- Feeling numb and detached (like ‘the lights are on, but nobody’s home’)
- Having a difficult time labeling your emotions
- Struggling with motivation and getting things done
- Experiencing brain fog
- Feeling disconnected from others
TikTok users experiencing functional freeze have also noted procrastination, engaging in social activities but not really enjoying them, and losing interest in hobbies as other potential signs and symptoms — which both Jenkins and Verhulst say are normal when it comes to a functional freeze response too.
Functional Freeze vs. Anxiety or Depression
Functional freeze is often confused with anxiety or depression, and while there can be an overlap in symptoms — and functional freeze can sometimes be coupled with other conditions like anxiety or depression — there are some key differences.
At its core, functional freeze is a physiological trauma response to ongoing or overwhelming stress; on the other hand, anxiety and depression are recognised mental health disorders with specific diagnostic criteria, says Verhulst. (Anxiety and depression are both included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), while functional freeze is not, Jenkins adds.)
The symptoms vary a bit, too. ‘When you’re experiencing a functional freeze response, one of the primary symptoms is dissociation,’ explains Jenkins. In depression, you may also feel dissociation, but you typically feel sad and hopeless. And with anxiety, you’re more worried and fearful, ‘whereas that feeling of ‘I don’t feel anything’ is more common when people are relating to functional freeze,’ she adds.
What to do if you’re experiencing a functional freeze
1/ Try grounding techniques
Grounding techniques — which are methods that activate your senses — can help get you out of a functional freeze and ground yourself into your body, says Jenkins. There are lots of them, so you can test out what works best for you.
A few simple ones to get you started:
- Suck on a sour candy or mint
- Push your feet into the ground
- Do a quick body scan and see if different body parts are tense or relaxed, then un-tense them (e.g., relaxing your jaw and dropping your shoulders)
- Hold a piece of ice in your hand
- Put your face in a bucket of ice water
- Try the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, where you identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) can also help ground yourself, adds Jenkins. A 2019 study in Explore found that this technique helps reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. To try PMR, tense and squeeze a specific part of your body for a few seconds — like your feet or shoulders — and then release.
Work your way through various parts of your body, noticing what tension feels like and what release feels like, advises Jenkins. ‘It helps you tune into your body, release physical stress, and can calm both your mind and nervous system,’ she adds.
2/ Get into your body
Doing tactile activities can help you re-regulate your nervous system and rediscover the body, getting you out of a functional freeze slump, says Verhulst. Try exercising, dancing, making art, or even going for a short walk around the block during your lunch break.
3/ Try microbreaks at work
Feel like your never-ending work day is the culprit of your functional freeze state? Try incorporating microbreaks into your daily routine, Verhulst says. Whether it’s carving out a few minutes to shut your laptop, stretch, or do a quick body scan, bringing mindfulness and presence back into your body can be super beneficial.
4/ Connect with nature
Who knew getting outside and touching grass could be so good for you? Studies have shown that connecting with nature — and specifically spending time in green spaces and around bodies of water — can improve cognitive function, reduce stress and anxiety, and just make you feel better.
‘We know that nature is something that helps increase levels of connection and presence,’ says Verhulst. Even if it’s just walking to your local park, laying out in your backyard, or sitting on your front porch, getting a bit of good ‘ol fresh air can do your brain some major good.
5/ Seek professional help
Lastly, if you think you’re experiencing a functional freeze, both Verhulst and Jenkins recommend seeking therapy — especially since this trauma response can be experienced alongside anxiety or depression. ‘Finding a therapist that can help you with nervous system dysregulation — like incorporating somatic work and finding ways to calm the nervous system and reconnect with the body — can really help,’ explains Verhulst.
Zoë Hecht is a California-based writer and editor who enjoys writing about beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and pop culture. She graduated from Loyola Marymount University, where she received her B.A. in English. Other than Women’s Health, her work can be found on Byrdie, Teen Vogue, and more. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, sipping coffee, and scrolling through Pinterest.
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