“I don’t know. I just froze up.”
Have you ever just “frozen up” in a really important situation? Maybe you clammed up in a team meeting, forgot the opening to your presentation, or didn’t know how to respond in a social conflict. Maybe your mind just went blank, you started rambling nonsense, or you kind of just stood there, nodding your head.
Freezing can look a variety of ways on different people. But no matter what it looks like, the costs can be high - a lost opportunity, a strained relationship, or a hit on your own mental health.
If you’ve ever exp...
“I don’t know. I just froze up.”
Have you ever just “frozen up” in a really important situation? Maybe you clammed up in a team meeting, forgot the opening to your presentation, or didn’t know how to respond in a social conflict. Maybe your mind just went blank, you started rambling nonsense, or you kind of just stood there, nodding your head.
Freezing can look a variety of ways on different people. But no matter what it looks like, the costs can be high - a lost opportunity, a strained relationship, or a hit on your own mental health.
If you’ve ever experienced something like this or if you know someone who has, this episode is for you. Today, we explore the science behind what is happening in our brain and body when we freeze, what it can look like, some root causes behind the response, and a few very TACTICAL AND PRACTICAL approaches you can use to combat this occurrence.
Specifically, we dive into:
- The scientific definition and what is happening in the brain during a “mom’s spaghetti” moment (7:10)
- The first step to addressing this response and the specific questions you should reflect on to help you identify potential root causes (14:40)
- How to train freezing out of you (21:10)
- 3 key performance indicators (KPIs) to track your progress as you practice (32:10)
Referenced AoC Resources:
E207: How Perception Impacts Communication & Relationships
E289: How To Get Someone To Quit Interrupting You: Considerations & Strategies
Conscious Coaching: The Art and Science of Building Buy-In
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Research Articles:
Freezing in response to a social threat: a replication
Fear and anxiety: animal models and human cognitive psychophysiology
Changing Fear: The Neurocircuitry of Emotion Regulation
Human freezing in response to affective films
Incident experience predicts freezing-like responses in firefighters
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