Do you ever feel like the world has sped up and you… freeze? The body seems to be working, but inside you feel tension, emptiness or being cut-off? It could be more than “fatigue”, perhaps it’s your body’s protective and wise response to excess stress.
When stress ceases to be mobilizing
Stress in itself is not bad, it is a natural defence mechanism. When we feel threatened, our body mobilizes to act. The heart rate accelerates, muscles tense, adrenaline is released. These are the well-known reactions: fight or flight. But what happens when we can neither escape nor fight? Then the body chooses the third option: freeze. This is not laziness, nor “lack of character”, this is the wisdom of biology that says, “I can’t do anything. I have to disappear to survive.”
What does freezing look like in everyday life?
Freezing is not just an “emergency”. It can be a chronic disconnection from the body and emotions, which manifests itself subtly through:
- lack of energy, despite sleep
- difficulty making decisions
- feeling “foggy” or not being present
- withdrawal, emotional numbness
- perfectionism as an attempt to regain control
Sound familiar? It doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with you. This means that your body, then or now, has lost its sense of security and has done what it does best – protected you.
Somatic coaching – talking to the body, not just the head
Somatic coaching can help you regain regulation and confidence in life. During sessions, we start with sensing, because before you change something, it is worth first sensing and feeling where you are.
How does it work?
During coaching sessions:
- you learn to notice signals from the body (tensions, breathing, microreactions)
- You begin to recognize what state you are in (whether the body is “running away”, “fighting”, or “frozen”)
- explore safe ways to get back in touch with yourself
- you build new paths through curiosity and compassion for yourself
It is not a “return to the past”, it is being with what the body carries today.
Can the body be released from freeze?
Yes, but not by force and not by shortcuts.
The body needs security, gentleness, time and… conscious contact. Somatic coaching teaches how to create a space in which the nervous system can return to balance. Your body begins to trust that it is different now, and you are an adult now, safe and supported.
This is the way back – from freezing to living fully.
If you feel that:
- Your body has “stopped” even though life goes on
- It’s hard for you to be in the here and now
- you need a safe place where you can feel yourself without judgment
… then you’re in the right place. And you’re not alone.
If you are interested in somatic coaching and this form of work resonates with your needs, don’t hesitate to contact me: kontakt@exploreself.pl. Make an appointment for an online or in-person session.