Why your $300/month gym membership isn’t fixing your burnout: You might be in a Functional Freeze
In the boardroom, you are the person with all the answers. You are productive, reliable, and highly compensated for your ability to grind through pressure. But when the laptop closes, a different reality sets in. Perhaps you feel a strange numbness, a sudden inability to choose what to eat for dinner, or a sense that you are performing your own life rather than living it.
If you are doing it all but feel like you are operating behind a pane of glass, you aren’t lazy or burnt out in the traditional sense. You are likely in a High-Functioning Freeze.
What is the High-Functioning Freeze?
Most of us are familiar with the “Fight or Flight” response, the heart racing, the sweaty palms, the urge to run or argue. But for the high-achiever, the nervous system often adopts a more sophisticated defense: The Functional Freeze (Dorsal Vagal Shutdown).
In this state, your body is effectively pressing the gas and the brake at the same time. You are still meeting deadlines and attending social functions, but internally, your system has deemed the environment too stressful to remain fully online. You’re surviving, but you aren’t present; hello dissociation.
Signs You’re Operating in a Functional Freeze:
You hit a major milestone or financial goal, and you feel… nothing.
You can manage a multi-million dollar budget at work, but choosing a movie on Netflix feels physically exhausting.
You experience chronic tension in the jaw, pelvic floor, or shoulders that doesn’t respond to massage or exercise.
You are articulate and on during dinner parties, but you feel a desperate need to isolate the moment you get into the car.
Why Your Willpower Isn’t Fixing It
High-income professionals often try to solve this with more doing, you know the drill, another biohacking supplement, a more intense workout, or a stricter schedule. However, if your nervous system is in a freeze state, more effort acts as a greater threat. When we work together somatically, we don’t look for what is wrong with your mindset. We look at the physiological debt your body has accrued. We move from thinking about your stress to sensing where your body has stored the bracing of a high-stakes career.
Three Steps to Thaw the Freeze
1. Reclaim Micro-Pleasures. When you are stuck in a freeze state, your nervous system prioritizes survival over satisfaction, making it difficult to access genuine joy. To rewire this, practice noticing pleasure for its own sake. As you sip your morning coffee or matcha, intentionally name three sensory details that feel good—the warmth of the mug, the aroma, or the stillness of the room. This signals to your brain that it is safe to shift out of protection mode.
2. Implement Strategic Body Checks. A freeze state often manifests as physical armoring. Make a plan to check in with your physiology at set intervals throughout the day. Take a moment to scan for tension: Can you soften your jaw? Can you drop your shoulders? Even a small, mindful movement—like tapping your toes or wiggling your fingers—can help break the ice and bring you back into your body.
3. Utilize the “Voo” Sound. Support your nervous system from the inside out using the “Voo” breath. Much like an “Om” in yoga, exhaling with a long, low-toned “Voo” creates a vibration that stimulates the Vagus Nerve (specifically the dorsal vagal branch). This gentle internal massage helps shift your system from a shut-down state back toward a state of social engagement and regulation.
In my private practice, I help high-performers move from survival to somatic presence. Subscribe for weekly insights on the intersection of relationships, sex, and the nervous system.