Quick stress-reduction tactic frequently employed by expert marksmen
The freeze response, often perceived as a shutdown of the system, is actually a state of increased alertness and improved perception and decision-making. This natural stress defense mechanism, activated when the brain perceives overwhelming danger and fighting or fleeing seems impossible, can be trained and leveraged to improve performance in high-pressure scenarios.
This response, which involves the amyggala detecting threat and the periaqueductal gray (PAG) in the midbrain deciding to initiate freeze by slowing movement and shifting the body into immobility, can be beneficial in providing a degree of calm in moments of great stress. By maintaining the freeze state, one can reduce noise in the brain, keep the heart rate low, and increase parasympathetic activity.
To train and use the freeze response beneficially, individuals can develop awareness of triggers and bodily sensations that precede freeze, practice controlled stillness or tonic immobility through mindfulness, breath control, or somatic therapies, use the freeze state as a moment for strategic pause, condition the nervous system by gradually exposing oneself to mild stressors, and leverage the dorsal vagal system’s calming impact via techniques associated with Polyvagal Theory.
Players with a stronger freeze response in games have been found to make better decisions and act faster. The freeze response can help in situations beyond physical threat, such as exams, business meetings, or athletic performances. It can potentially be used as a tool to pre-emptively deal with stress or to improve performance in various scenarios.
Neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Prof Karin Roelofs, who studies freezing at Radboud University in the Netherlands, has published in scientific journals including Nature Communication, Nature Human Behaviour, and Nature Reviews Neuroscience. She has created a virtual reality shooting game to train the freeze response and maintains that it can be induced in a person.
When the freeze response occurs, the heart rate drops, breathing slows, and blood pressure changes. Pupils may dilate, and muscles can tense. A cascade of hormones and neurotransmitters surge through the body. To maintain the freeze state, one should focus on a slow exhalation and avoid hyperventilating.
Examples of people who are able to control the freeze response to their advantage include living statues and snipers. The Dutch police have integrated the freeze response into their training. By training these components, the freeze response can move from being an automatic shutdown to a strategic tool that helps people manage overwhelming stress, maintain composure, and improve decision-making. This approach contrasts with the fight-or-flight response, which increases arousal and triggers rapid action and can sometimes impair thoughtful response.
- In high-pressure scenarios, the freeze response, a natural stress defense mechanism that can be trained, offers improved perception and decision-making, providing a degree of calm in moments of great stress.
- Neuroscientists and clinical psychologists, like Prof Karin Roelofs, are researching the freeze response, publishing their findings in journals such as Nature Communication, Nature Human Behaviour, and Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
- The freeze response, when maintained, can help reduce noise in the brain, keep the heart rate low, and increase parasympathetic activity, benefiting mental health and fitness-and-exercise performance.
- By training the freeze response, individuals can leverage it as a tool for pre-emptively dealing with stress or improving performance in various scenarios, such as exams, business meetings, or athletic performances.
- Examples of people who effectively use the freeze response include living statues, snipers, and even the Dutch police, demonstrating that with training, the freeze response can move from an automatic shutdown to a strategic tool for managing overwhelming stress and improving health-and-wellness.
