What Is Hypoarousal? Signs You’re in Fawn Or Freeze — And How To Get Out

Written By Centre for MInd Body Psychotherapy

Welcome back to our three-part blog series on the Window of Tolerance

In Part One, we talked about the Window of Tolerance — what it is, why it matters for your emotional well-being, and how it affects the way you handle stress. We looked at what happens when you’re pushed outside of that window into survival states like hyperarousal (fight-or-flight) or hypoarousal (freeze or shut down), and how this can make daily life feel overwhelming or out of reach. We also shared how therapy can help you stay more balanced and present, even when life is stressful.
👉 If you missed it, you can read Part One here: https://centreformindbodypsychotherapy.ca/what-is-emdr-anyway/how-understanding-your-window-of-tolerance-can-improve-your-mental-health.

In Part Two, we focused on hyperarousal — what it feels like when your system is stuck in overdrive, how to recognize the signs, and most importantly, how to calm your body and mind when you're feeling wired, restless, anxious, or constantly on edge.
👉 You can catch up on Part Two here: https://centreformindbodypsychotherapy.ca/what-is-emdr-anyway/what-is-hyperarousal-signs-youre-in-fight-or-flight-and-how-to-get-out if you missed it.

Today, we’re turning to the other side of the spectrum — the part that often flies under the radar. Instead of being on high alert, this state is more about shutting down. This is hypoarousal — and it can leave you feeling numb, foggy, disconnected, or frozen.

🧠 What Is Hypoarousal?

Hypoarousal is a state of nervous system under-activation or shutdown. It's often associated with freeze or fawn responses. Rather than speeding up like in fight-or-flight, your system slows down to a point of disconnection. You might feel spacey, numb, unmotivated, or like you’re moving through life in a fog. This is your body’s way of protecting you when it feels overwhelmed, powerless, or emotionally unsafe — by turning everything down.

This state can be caused by:

  • Chronic stress that exhausts your system over time

  • Trauma, including sexual, physical, verbal, and/or emotional abuse or neglect

  • Emotionally unsafe environments, especially in childhood — where speaking up, expressing feelings, or needing support felt dangerous or pointless

  • Relational trauma, such as being constantly dismissed, controlled, or blamed

  • Repeated experiences of failure, rejection, or shame that taught you to give up or disconnect

  • Messages that your needs, emotions, or presence didn’t matter

In other words, if your nervous system learned that shutting down or going invisible was the safest option, it may now default to hypoarousal — even when the original threat is gone.

Window of Tolerance chart showing hyperarousal, regulation, and hypoarousal states.
 

🕵️ Signs You Might Be in Hypoarousal

Many people don’t realize they’re living in a state of hypoarousal because it doesn’t always look extreme or obvious. It can show up subtly — like feeling unmotivated, disconnected, or flat — but it still affects how you feel, think, and relate to others.

To help you recognize it, here are some common signs grouped by how it might show up in your body, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors:

🧍 In Your Body:

  • Low energy or constant fatigue

  • Heaviness in your limbs or slumped posture

  • Shallow or slowed-down breathing

  • Cold hands or feet

  • Feeling physically “numb” or disconnected from your body

💭 In Your Thoughts:

  • Difficulty focusing or frequent zoning out

  • Thoughts feel slow, blank, or foggy

  • Inner dialogue is quiet or absent

  • Beliefs like “Why bother?” or “I can’t do anything right”

💬 In Your Emotions:

  • Emotional numbness or flatness

  • Inability to feel joy, sadness, anger, or even anxiety

  • Feeling empty or emotionally shut down

  • A sense of hopelessness or worthlessness

🚪 In Your Behaviours:

  • Withdrawing from social situations or isolating

  • Avoiding tasks, responsibilities, or decisions

  • People-pleasing or over-accommodating others (fawn response)

  • Sleeping too much or overusing screens/substances to numb out

  • “Checking out” or dissociating in stressful moments

🛠️ 10 Body-Based Strategies to Soothe Hypoarousal

When you’re in hypoarousal, your system may feel so shut down that even standing up or speaking can feel like too much. The goal isn’t to push through it or force high energy — it’s to gently awaken your system, one step at a time. These body-based strategies can help you reconnect gradually, without overwhelming yourself.

1. 🤲 Micro Movements to Re-Engage the Body

Start small: tap your fingers, wiggle your toes, rotate your wrists or ankles, or gently squeeze your forearms. You can also rock slightly side to side or shift your weight from foot to foot. These subtle movements help bring awareness back into your physical body without asking too much from your system.

2. 🪑 Notice Subtle Sensations

Tune into sensations like tingling, temperature changes, or the weight of your body in a chair. You don’t have to do anything — just notice. This gentle body awareness helps you reinhabit yourself and slowly return to the present moment.

3. 🧘 Gentle Stretching or Yoga

Ground your body through simple, supportive poses like child’s pose, downward dog, or any gentle stretching. Focus on how it feels rather than how it looks.
👉 Explore body-based yoga and breath practices with Dr. Arielle Schwartz — a psychologist who integrates yoga, vagus nerve science, and trauma recovery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbiA_CjySMs&list=WL&index=122&t=110s

4. 💪 Progressive Muscle Activation

Slowly tense and release different muscle groups — feet, then legs, hands, arms, shoulders. This reactivates sensation and helps you feel more grounded and physically present. Want to try it? Try this guided exercise: https://insighttimer.com/drmariannecook/guided-meditations/progressive-muscle-relaxation_3?_branch_match_id=1477090237695978895&utm_source=more&utm_medium=guided_meditation&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8wrzkzXyyjRLw328MsuKE%2FLCEuyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUAsMozXDYAAAA%3D

5. 💧 Engage Your Senses

Stimulate your nervous system gently through sensory input:

  • Drink a cold glass of water

  • Feel warm sunlight or a cool breeze

  • Smell essential oils like peppermint or citrus

  • Hold a mug of tea or a cool object

  • Listen to music that feels emotionally alive or gently energizing

6. 🌬️ Stimulating Breathwork

Try box breathing — inhale for 3, hold for 3, exhale for 3. Or experiment with energizing breathing (e.g., longer inhales than exhales) to bring energy into your body. Avoid breathwork that feels sedating — the goal here is gentle activation.
👉 Learn more about energizing breathing here: https://insighttimer.com/michjayne/guided-meditations/energising-breath?_branch_match_id=1477090237695978895&utm_source=more&utm_medium=guided_meditation&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8wrzkzXyyjRTy6qKvWINEnPCEuyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUARvPuVTYAAAA%3D

7. 🎶 Use Vocal Sound and Vibration

Make sound with your voice to stimulate connection and awaken your system. Try humming, singing, or vocalizing “ahhh,” “ohmm,” or “hmmm.” Inhale deeply and exhale while making the sound. Feel the vibration — it's calming and stimulating at the same time.
👉 Explore sound-based vagus nerve activation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbq4ftUGj1U&list=WL&index=121

8. 👁️ Visual Stimulation

Look at bright colours, put on vibrant clothing, or do something visually creative. These cues can gently stimulate attention and help orient you to the present moment.

9. 🧠 Light Mental Activation

Slowly engage your thinking brain without overwhelming it. Try:

10. 🐾 Connect with Someone Safe

Spend time with someone who helps you feel safe — a close friend, family member, or even a pet. This activates the ventral vagal system, which helps pull you back into your window of tolerance through connection.

🔺 You're Not Lazy — You're Stuck in Survival

Hypoarousal often gets misinterpreted as laziness, flakiness, or not caring — but that couldn’t be further from the truth. If you find yourself constantly tired, checked out, or disconnected, your nervous system may be doing exactly what it learned to do: protect you.

This isn’t about willpower. It’s about survival wiring — and you’re not stuck this way forever.

💡 Therapy Can Help You Reclaim Your Energy and Presence

Expanding your Window of Tolerance means increasing your ability to stay present, feel your feelings, and engage with life — without tipping into shutdown or overwhelm. This is essential for:

  • Emotional regulation

  • Healthy relationships and boundaries

  • A stable sense of self

  • Energy, motivation, and decision-making

  • Physical and mental well-being

You don’t have to figure this out on your own. If this sounds like your experience, therapy can help you build safety, connection, and energy from the inside out.

👉 Reach out to get started. You deserve to feel alive and engaged — not just surviving, but actually living.



Visual Resources and Tools

If you're a visual learner, here are some helpful diagrams and resources you can explore:

REFERENCES

Ogden, Pat. 2012. Level I: Training in Affect Dysregulation, Survival Defenses, and Traumatic Memory. Bolder, CO: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute.

Ogden, Pat, Kekuni Minton, and Clare Pain. 2006. Trauma and the body: A sensorimotor approach to psychotherapy. New York: W. W. Norton & Co.

Siegel, Daniel J. 2012. The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. Second ed. New York: The Guilford Press.

National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine. "How to Help Your Clients Understand Their Window of Tolerance." NICABM, www.nicabm.com/trauma-how-to-help-your-clients-understand-their-window-of-tolerance/. Accessed 1 June 2025.

Centre for MInd Body Psychotherapy https://centreformindbodypsychotherapy.ca/
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What is Hyperarousal? Signs You’re in Fight or Flight and How to Get Out