Waves of Freeze During COVID-19

What is the freeze response, and how might we relate to it and ourselves during the highly stressful experience of global pandemic

Just a note: “Somatic” means “of the body”, and in this case refers broadly to study, practice and guidance towards embodiment, trauma resolution, nervous system resiliency, and trauma-safe mindfulness. There are somatically-oriented coaches and counselors, therapists and bodyworkers, and professionals from many fields (medicine, activism, spirituality, midwifery) who train in somatics to add another dimension to their work.

In somatic practice, we track cycles of arousal and “dearousal” in the nervous system. Think of a sine wave! Activation, deactivation. Sympathetic, parasympathetic.

Sympathetic or arousal means a state of relative energy- being called to move, to do something, be active, productive, creative, expressive, and experience emotions like excitement, anger, irritation, grief, etc.

Parasympathetic or dearousal means relative rest or stillness- relaxation, integration, digestion, social engagement (chilling with your people), the sense of “receiving”, and sleep.

There is a further division of the parasympathetic system (as in polyvagal theory) that says there is a side that causes us to feel relaxed in an embodied, present, and socially connected…