Are you lazy or are you being stuck in freeze?
So,
What is freeze?
Freeze is a stress respond when,
Without understanding,
It is like playing dead.
Not reacting,
Not fighting back,
Not avoiding,
Just being stuck there.
Being stuck in that state of being,
Being stuck in what you're doing.
And it is very different from being in the present moment.
Actually,
Being in the present moment and understanding that the danger is not real is one of the ways how to overcome this state of being.
But this is a bit more complicated.
Moving from freeze to being in the present moment is a bit more complicated.
Because if it would be just this easy,
We'd all do that.
Unfortunately,
Many times,
We all,
Or the majority of people,
Get stuck in this.
For me,
The most obvious thing when I get stuck in freeze,
Often I go into doomscrolling,
Or,
For example,
The bottle of water is right there.
You want to drink water,
Like you're thirsty,
But you don't get the bottle of water and start drinking.
Or,
For example,
You need to eat,
And there are no groceries or nothing that you can eat in home,
Or nothing that you can use to cook a meal,
And the grocery store is next to your house,
Or very near in your environment,
But you don't go there.
There is not a specific other reason,
It's just you're not going.
Because when you start to logic it out,
For example,
There is no logic in wanting to drink water,
And the bottle is right there,
And not drinking,
And not taking it to drink,
Or having so much to do to get done,
And instead of breaking it down into small steps,
Into small parts that you can do,
You just get stuck in your phone,
Doomscrolling for hours.
It is that your body,
Your brain,
Perceives this whole pressure,
The pressure of the many things that you have to do,
As dangerous.
It is something that is very stressful,
And all this stress is bringing you in this state of being that you don't know how to react to it.
The first thing is acknowledging that you are in freeze,
Because when you have so much things to do,
And you just doomscroll for hours,
It is somehow obvious,
Or at least,
It is more obvious,
That you doomscrolling is a sign of the high pressure that you are going through.
It is more difficult in other situations,
The fact that you have so much to do,
But you're doomscrolling for hours,
Instead of getting it done,
Instead of starting.
When you look at it from a logical perspective,
It makes sense that this whole lot of things that you need to get done is creating you so much stress.
What is difficult is to understand that you are in freeze,
To understand that you are experiencing a lot of pressure,
And you are zooming out,
In different ways.
For me,
This,
The example of the bottle of water,
Is my favorite,
Because,
Whenever I need something,
And it is just there,
It is,
The help is very near,
Or it is very accessible to get that thing,
But I'm not moving in that direction.
That in itself,
For me,
Is a reflecting point.
Why?
What is making me feel,
In a way,
Paralyzed?
So,
The first thing is,
Why am I reacting this way?
Observing yourself,
Calming in the present moment,
Instead of distracting yourself,
Calming in the present moment,
Why am I reacting this way?
What is causing me so much pressure?
Is this pressure real?
For example,
You have so much things to do,
But you are not doing them,
You are just doomscrolling.
What is the worst thing that could happen,
If you did none of them?
You'd still survive.
What would happen if you did all of them?
And understanding that,
Whatever the potential of you getting them all done,
Whatever good the potential of you getting them all done,
In reality,
In the here and now,
You distracting yourself,
Is you removing yourself from this potential.
So,
The next thing is understanding the importance of this pressure.
What is giving you this whole pressure?
Is the problem,
Is the danger,
Is the risk equal to the stress that you are experiencing?
And what can you do,
What actions can you take,
That would help you decrease the pressure,
Decrease the level of stress that you are experiencing?
It can be going out and exercising,
It can be going to the gym,
It can be taking 20 minutes of yoga,
It can be somatic meditation,
Being in the present moment,
And noticing your body,
And then,
Breaking down this whole task into smaller steps that you can do right now.
What can you do right now to move in the direction that you desire?
What is the best thing that you can do now?
How can you use your energy now to move to that thing?
So,
Even though,
Without understanding,
You are avoiding the stress,
You are trying to avoid the stress and pressure,
The stress is still there.
Your body is in fight or flight.
This is why somatic meditation is very helpful.
This is why physical exercise is helpful,
Because it clears your mind,
It gives you energy,
It moves your body from this surviving state.
These are the steps.
The first thing is understanding that you are in freeze,
Paying attention to your body,
Paying attention to what is going on,
Paying attention to why you are reacting the way that you are reacting,
And how would you react if you were calm.
This is a huge thing,
Because neurologically,
You are rewiring your brain to move closer to that state of being,
Because you are creating a clear image of how you would react if you were in a calmer state.
So,
Now,
It is easier for you to take these steps and to move in that direction.
It is easier for you to embody that clarity.
The other thing is taking active actions in moving in this direction,
Moving your body,
Clearing your mind,
Or singing,
Dancing.
Then,
Looking for ways how you can move through all this situation,
Paying attention and noticing if the perceived stress is equal with the problem,
With the thing that you have to overcome,
With the thing that you have to work through.
Taking steps in the direction of your desire,
Taking small steps,
All this huge task,
Breaking it down into different pieces.
Another thing that is very important,
In many situations,
People may not be able to understand why they are experiencing this state of being,
Because it may not be from a very obvious task.
For example,
A test,
A difficult job,
Or something like that.
It can be the environment that you are in.
It can be an emotional flashback in the past,
In a situation that you felt in danger in some way,
And even though in the present you are not in danger,
It is the emotional trigger that is bringing you back in the past,
In this past state of being,
But that your body is experiencing right now.
It is being in the present moment and taking your power back by observing,
By seeing where you are,
By seeing how are things in this moment,
By observing yourself,
By observing the situation.
It can be really helpful.
And then,
With this in mind,
Noticing what can be the cause of your stress,
What can be creating this pressure that you are experiencing,
And from there,
Taking all the other steps,
Taking smaller steps to move in your desired direction.
Thank you so much for being here,
And thank you for taking time to reflect and to work on yourself.
