Sometimes, the hardest battles aren't the ones we fight - they're the ones that leave us frozen. Stillness isn’t always peace. Sometimes, it’s being stuck. In this episode, Jeff and Lora explore what happens when our nervous system responds to stress—not with fight or flight, but with freeze, collapse, or fawning.In this episode, we explore:- The difference between freeze, collapse, and fawn responses- Why these survival instincts exist and how they serve (or hinder) us- The role of culture in rewarding certain nervous system responses- The impact of prolonged stress and how it can shape our identity- How to recognize when you’re stuck and ways to gently shift out of it- Practical exercises, from playful movement to the power of saying “no”Our adventurer is adrift in a sea that refuses to move. No wind, no waves - just an endless stretch of water keeping him in place. Lost in looping thoughts, he feels frozen. But a small piece of driftwood is all the reminder he needs to remember he is real, and that even the smallest shift is still movement. Connect with So What Who CaresEmail: ⁠mail.sowhatwhocares@gmail.com⁠

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Facebook: ⁠So What Who Cares Podcast⁠Find Lora McCarville at: ⁠https://www.loramccarville.com/⁠Chapters00:00 Drifting in Stillness: A Metaphor for Life's Journey02:51 Understanding Stress Responses: The Nervous System Explained06:08 The Four F's: Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn08:54 The Nuances of Freeze and Collapse Responses11:59 Personal Stories: Lessons from Life's Challenges14:55 Functional Freeze: Navigating Everyday Life17:55 Internal vs. External Triggers: The Complexity of Responses20:59 Cultural Influences on Stress Responses: The Role of Society23:50 Engaging with Threats: The Fawn Response in Action24:19 Understanding Fawning and Agency27:21 Recognizing and Managing Nervous System States29:43 Play and Somatics in Healing33:55 Titration and Pendulation in Nervous System Responses39:59 Personal Experiences with Freeze Responses42:13 Practical Strategies for Empowerment and Saying No#SoWhatWhoCares #Podcast #LoraMcCarville #JeffKalasky #FreezeResponse #NervousSystem #EmotionalRegulation #SurvivalInstincts #Mindfulness #HealingJourney #TraumaAwareness #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #MentalWellness #Resilience #FindingYourVoice