Have you ever sat down to “finally” get something done… and ended up just scrolling your phone, staring at the wall, or re-watching that same comfort show again?

It’s not that you don’t care. It’s not even that you’re lazy. What’s really happening is your nervous system has flipped into freeze mode.

Here’s the deal: your body is designed to protect you from danger. When stress builds up, your nervous system usually gives you two choices—fight or flight. That’s the gas pedal. Adrenaline, energy, motivation.

But if fight or flight is too much for too long? Your body has another move. It’s like hitting a dimmer switch. Instead of speeding you up, it slows everything down. Your energy output gets cut off, and suddenly you feel checked out, numb, or totally unmotivated.

That’s freeze. And honestly? It’s brilliant in its own weird way. Your body is saying, “This is too much—I’m going to power down so you don’t burn out completely.”

The problem is, when you’re in it, it feels like you’re stuck. Like you should be able to just snap out of it, but you can’t. And the harder you try to force yourself, the more frozen you feel.

So what do you actually do in those moments?

Here’s a quick reset I teach my clients:

• Place one hand on your chest, one on your belly.

• Take 4 short, gentle inhales through your nose (like little sips of air).

• Exhale one long, slow breath out of your mouth.

• Repeat 2–3 times.

This little pattern tells your body, “Hey, you’re safe,” and helps bring energy back online without pushing or powering through.

Next time you catch yourself frozen, try it. Not as a way to force productivity, but as a gentle signal to your nervous system that it can shift gears.

Because here’s the truth: you’re not broken. You’re human. And your body is just doing what it was wired to do—protect you.