Breaking Free from the Freeze: Angela McKinney's Guide to Reclaiming Your Life
Neutralizing our responses to our feelings is critical to cultivating an environment of engagement and bringing in play and creativity to this reorganizing process, in my opinion, is critical because without it we become very vulnerable to default towards that punitive, self-fixing, self-attacking, self-annihilating experience we have with one of our responses.
Ever felt paralyzed by overwhelming emotions, unable to move forward? Angela McKinney's latest episode of 'Untangle & Thrive' tackles just that. She dives into the freeze response—a survival mechanism that can leave us feeling stuck and disconnected. Angela explains how many of us learned to shut down early in life to cope with intense sensations, but we don't have to stay in that state forever. The journey to reclaiming your life starts with understanding and working with your body.
Angela's 3-Step system of self-care, known as The Untangle Method™, combines trauma research with a playful approach to help you thaw out from a freeze. She shares her own experiences and offers practical advice on recognizing childhood triggers and how they continue to affect us as adults. Even if you've done talk therapy or recovery work, the freeze response can still catch you off guard.
Angela emphasizes that it's not just about understanding your story but also about engaging your body in the healing process. One of the standout moments in this episode is Angela's suggestion to invite the freeze into a humorous conversation. Imagine your body as a bunny or a skunk playing dead—this playful orientation can shift your perspective and help you grow your capacity to handle overwhelming feelings. Angela believes that neutralizing our responses is key to fostering an environment of engagement.
Without this, we risk defaulting to self-critical behaviors. Listeners will learn how to incorporate play and creativity into their self-care routines, making the reorganizing process not just effective but also enjoyable. Angela's approach is both hopeful and practical, offering valuable insights for anyone looking to improve their quality of life. Tune in to 'Untangle & Thrive' and start unlocking yourself from the freeze response today.