The Freeze Response
a.k.a. Slug mode
Ever find yourself staring at the ceiling for two hours, phone in hand, brain offline, doing absolutely nothing… and then immediately spiral into “Why am I like this?!”
That’s not laziness. It’s not lack of willpower. It’s not that you “just need to try harder.”
It’s your nervous system hitting the brakes so hard it collapses into stillness. It’s overwhelm-induced shutdown. It’s your system saying: “I can’t handle this right now. Too much. Abort.”
This is the freeze response. A trauma response just like fight, flight, or fawn — but quieter. Stickier. More shame-inducing because it looks like nothing.
But under the surface? Your body’s doing a whole-ass shutdown procedure.
What is the Freeze Response?
Freeze is a full-body shutdown designed to keep you safe when fight or flight aren’t possible — when action feels too risky, too complicated, or too fucking overwhelming to compute.
You’re not choosing to be frozen. Your nervous system is having a system error. It’s down to it’s last resort — play dead.
Freeze is:
A dorsal vagal response — the deepest tier of parasympathetic collapse
What happens when your system detects more threat than it knows how to handle
A way of saying “I can’t do this right now”
A trauma response, not a character flaw
It can look like zoning out. Going silent. Lying in bed for hours doing nothing — and hating yourself for it. But underneath it all, your nervous system is just trying to manage an overwhelming load.
It’s doing its best to keep you from suffering. But that doesn’t mean it feels good.
How the Freeze Response Shows Up
Freeze can be sneaky. It doesn’t announce itself with a panic attack or an angry outburst. Often, it tiptoes in quietly and systematically shuts everything down.
Sometimes it looks like procrastination. Sometimes it feels like numbness. And sometimes… it just feels like nothing.
Real-life signs of freeze:
You know something isn’t right… but you can’t speak up or act
You want to care… but everything feels far away, muted, or flat
You stare at your phone, computer, or ceiling for hours without doing the thing
You’re scrolling endlessly but not taking anything in
You’re “tired” all the time… but sleep doesn’t help
You eat, rest, or stim… and still feel stuck
You feel guilt, shame, or panic about not doing enough — but still can’t start
You lose time or go emotionally offline when faced with decisions or pressure
Freeze isn’t about being lazy. It’s your system saying: “I’m overwhelmed, and I don’t know what’s safe or possible — so I’m doing nothing.”
What’s Actually Going On (Somatically)
Freeze isn’t indecision. It’s collapse. Not a glitch in your motivation — a shutdown in your system.
When your nervous system perceives too much input and no safe action, it short circuits and slams on the emergency brake.
This is a dorsal vagal (parasympathetic) response:
The same response that kicks in when an animal plays dead
Heart rate slows, energy tanks, digestion may shut off
The body disconnects from sensation, urgency, time, and sometimes self
It’s not angry or fearful energy — it’s the absence of energy
You’re not in control — you’re buffering. And it can be terrifying if you don’t know what it is.
You’re not ‘stupid’ for freezing. Your body just didn’t know it had other options.
How to Gently Thaw Out of Freeze
You don’t push your way out of freeze — you thaw through slow, kind, re-entry to your body + your senses.
Try these gentle cues to help your system shift:
👀 Orient yourself
Look around the room. Notice light, shapes, sound. Remind your body where and when it is.
(Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise)
🫁 Breathe (without pressure)
Try a soft sigh, a hum, or just notice your breath — no need to “fix” it.
✋ Introduce pleasant sensations
Touch a fuzzy blanket. Step on the grass with bare feet. Hold something cool or warm. Rub your hands together or stroke your arms.
(Try Havening a.k.a. soothing self-touch)
🧘 Rock, sway, or tap
Your nervous system loves slow, consistent, rhythmic movements. Forget ‘exercise’ — just move in a way that feels good.
(Try Somatic Shaking, EFT Tapping, or Bilateral Stimulation)
👄 Name it (out loud)
Just say, “I’m feeling stuck right now.” Admitting it = co-regulation with your inner parent. Saying it out loud = vagal stimulation.
💭 Use your imagination
Imagine, in as much detail as possible, the sensation of curling into soft moss, becoming a stone in warm water… whatever sounds healing to you. The more vividly you can imagine these pleasant sensations, the more powerful this is.
You don’t have to get back to productivity. You just have to return to presence.
Tiny cues, repeated gently — like raindrops on your soul… That’s what brings the slug back to life.
💡Pro Tip:
You can’t hate yourself out of freeze. Throwing salt on the slug doesn’t make it move faster.
When you’re in collapse, the kindest thing you can do is lower the ask and raise the safety. Don’t demand action — offer warmth.
Treat your freeze like a garden guest… Water it. Shelter it. Put it gently on a leaf.
It doesn’t need shame. It needs care.
Want more ways to self-regulate?
I’ve got a whole library of mind-body magic waiting for you✨