It’s easy to get caught in the whirlwind of your own thoughts. These could be memories you can’t stop replaying, worries about the future, or endless “what if’s.” These spirals build momentum, even from the tiniest doubts, and drag you down until you find yourself frozen on your bed, scrolling Instagram and numbing the pain. This is freezing, a common response to anxiety or stress. If you have experienced this, know that you’re not alone. It might feel overwhelming, but the good news is that there are specific habits you can practice to break out of this cycle. They only take about 15 minutes a day, and they are the first steps to reclaiming your mental space.

#1. If You’re Frozen, Thaw Out

When you feel your thoughts spiraling, your body reacts. It begins to shut down, zone out, and paralyze you to your bed, floor, or couch. This is a “freeze” response, similar to that of a fight or flight reaction. Freezing is your brain and body’s way of coping with an insurmountable amount of stress. Overwhelming anxiety increases every time your spiral spins, and there is a limit to how much we can cope with until our body freezes. However, you can only lie numb and overwhelmed on your bed for so long. The solution to freezing begins with thawing out.

Thawing means adding heat, energy, and movement to break out of your freeze. It means getting up and doing something, anything for yourself. It doesn’t have to address your anxieties yet. It can be simple actions like making a cup of tea, stretching your body, going on a short walk, or getting up and talking with a friend. Movement, even the tiniest bit, can thaw you out when you’re freezing. It’s not for solving the problem, it’s for helping you feel better. Thawing out is the ibuprofen for your pain. It doesn’t cure the injury, it provides you just enough relief to address the core issue later. Recognize when you’re freezing, take small actions to get moving, and then find a way to release what thoughts are plaguing you.

#2. Journaling: The Release Valve

The spirals that often lead to freezing can be stopped if they have an outlet. If anxious thoughts stay within your mind, unspoken or unshared, they swirl uncontrollably until you freeze again. Journaling offers an accessible method for releasing those pent-up emotions. Think of it as a release valve for your thoughts, an action that allows you to put all your biggest, scariest, and harshest thoughts on paper. Don’t hold back when you journal and mold it to your own life. If you journal best in the mornings, do so. If you like to only journal when you are spiraling, go for it. Don’t get lost in the logistics, journaling is meant to be a relief done by you for you. It doesn’t have to only be on paper either.

Journaling can be done on a notebook, a laptop, or even with video or audio recordings. It might feel odd, but finding a quiet place to voice your strongest feelings is therapeutic. Journaling, on paper or through audio, allows you not only to release the pressure, but to reflect on the source of your stress. When you discover what the issue is, take some time to ground yourself again.

#3. Ground Yourself in the Present

Rumination is about the past, and anxiety is about the future. However, to access both of these we have to use our imaginations. In the current moment, we don’t need to reach into our thoughts to connect with the world around us. Spiraling thoughts and catastrophizing can easily pull our brain into the clouds, leaving our bodies behind. Grounding is the practice of actively pulling your attention back to reality. Not what you “should be doing…should have done…could be doing” but what you are doing. In reality, in the present, there is only your body, your surroundings and the events going on around you.

Try using a grounding technique called the 5-4-3-2-1 method. It asks you to get in touch with each of your five senses. This is important because they are the senses foundational to you knowing you are safe. Take 10-15 minutes to focus on each of your senses to anchor yourself to the present. Wherever you are, identify:

• 5 things you see
• 4 things you feel
• 3 things you hear
• 2 things you smell
• 1 thing you taste.

You can do this as many times as you need. Grounding redirects your attention from the clouds to the ground. Things you can see, feel, hear, smell or taste. The best part is that we can affect those things. Don’t like that cabinet? You can sell it. Don’t like the smell of that candle? Donate it or throw it out. Now that you have identified what is there, it can also be beneficial to identify what isn’t there.

#4. Be Mindful of Emptiness

While traditional mindfulness exercises focus on what is present, I want you to also focus on what isn’t. Sometimes, mindfulness gives us more stimuli to focus on when we are already overstimulated. In these moments, focus on the empty spaces around you. If you feel claustrophobic, focus on the gaps between everything. In every empty space is plenty of air to breathe deep breaths. If you’re overstimulated from internal arguments or anxiety, listen to the silence around you. You might hear the hum of the air conditioning or wind outside, but these noises are really there. If you find the silence, you don’t hear the voices of the arguments in your head. You’re not hearing any frantic planning for next week. You hear what is there, but you are also calmed by what isn’t.

Conclusion

Breaking away from your thoughts is difficult, yet possible. If you’re frozen, thaw yourself out and get moving. Then, release the pressure inside your head by journaling or sharing with a friend. Once the pressure is released, do some grounding to bring your thoughts back from the clouds and into your room. If you find yourself overstimulated, take inventory of the empty spaces and silence.

Your thoughts don’t have to control your life. With these small habits, you can keep yourself from freezing and stay grounded to reality. You can rediscover the serenity of silence, the freedom of open spaces, and the empowering effect you can have on your life. Break away, love yourself, and move towards a fulfilling day.

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