Signs of 'functional freeze mode' that experts warn more and more people are beginning to live in

Signs of 'functional freeze mode' have been highlighted by experts as an increasing amount of people begin to live in it.

It sounds like a setting on a video game, but it's a real psychological state that more and more people are becoming affected by in this busy, and often unforgiving, world.

The state can leave people feeling numb, disconnected and disengaged from aspects of life, effectively shutting down as a response to being overwhelmed, stressed or emotionally exhausted.

You may continue to get through tasks in the day but on the inside, we're merely going through the motions to do things that need to be done, driven by biological survival instincts.

Functional Freezing is becoming more common as time goes on. (Getty Stock Photo)

What is Functional Freeze, exactly?

Essentially, it refers to a state where you are functioning, but mentally, you are stuck in a physiological response similar to the physical freeze reaction that animals display when under threat.

It's all related to your autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion and respiratory rate.

This consists of three branches: The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), and the enteric nervous system (ENS).

Within the PNS is the dorsal vagal complex, which regulates body functions when you're resting or relaxing - but if you become overwhelmed, the dorsal vagal complex can 'shutdown' or 'freeze'.

While carrying out a 'freeze response', your metabolic activity, heart rate and blood pressure will be reduced, which can be characterised by an overall sense of detachment from your surroundings. This can happen occasionally, but it becomes an issue when people get stuck here for longer periods, which is incredibly unhealthy.

However, there are signs of it creeping in that you should look out for because you could be falling victim to it.

There are a few easy-to-spot signs of Functional Freezing. (Getty Stock Photo)

It's important to recognise the feelings of freeze though, so here are a number of key ways, identified by experts, so you can identify it and nip it in the bud.

Having a sense of disconnection and numbness

If you often feel disconnected and numb, emotionally and physically, to aspects of your life, it may be a sign of functional freezing.

Being overwhelmed and 'solving' it by paying no attention to the problem and aimlessly going about your day isn't the healthiest solution.

Constantly being on edge

You may feel an increased sense of vigilance, feeling on edge and struggling to relax from day to day.

Feeling like you might be on the verge of snapping with almost no time made to relax can be detrimental to your overall health and to the relationships you have with people around you.

Difficulty making decisions

If you find yourself struggling to decide on which coffee you want in the morning, or which shirt to wear everyday, it could be a sign, as easy choices like this should be made with confidence.

However, being in a functional freeze limits your bodily functions and it can cloud your judgement - another explanation for this is that you're so disconnected from everything that you don't want to make a decision, so you end up struggling.

Feeling overwhelmed more often than not

Linking to the previous point, feeling overwhelmed by the most simple of tasks, such as making breakfast or ironing clothes, can be an obvious sign of functional freezing.

It can leave you with a sense of feeling stuck, trapped, and unable to move forwards with your life.

If you display any of these signs, you could be living in 'functional freeze mode'. (Getty Stock Photo)

How do you snap out of it?

Regulating your nervous system isn't easy, and it is unreasonable to expect humans to be perfectly regulated at all times, but we can try.

Having a mental toolkit at the ready to deal with stress and challenges is key, being able to spot signs of the freeze response is very important, as you need to reconnect with your body to stop feeling overwhelmed.

It's easy to go on your phone and doom scroll on social media to avoid your problems, but it is one of the unhealthiest things you can do for your mental health.

These methods can often involve interventions aimed at regulating the ANS, which promotes relaxation by processing underlying emotions and traumas.

Therapeutic approaches like somatic experiencing, mindfulness practices, or trauma-informed therapy will assist people to build up to releasing the freeze response and restoring a better and more complete sense of connection to your life.