EP308: When Fear Keeps You Frozen and What Helps You Thaw

Feeling stuck doesn’t mean you’re unmotivated — it usually means you don’t feel safe enough to move. Fear, shame, and self-doubt can quietly trap us in loops of overthinking, avoidance, and perfectionism, especially when past experiences have taught our bodies that taking risks isn’t safe. In this episode, Mary explores why fear often feels stronger than logic, how trauma trains us to freeze, and what it actually takes to begin moving again.

You’ll learn how to create safety before action, why supportive relationships are essential for unfreezing, and how micro-steps — not big leaps — build lasting courage. This episode is for anyone who’s tired of being stuck but too scared to push forward alone. You’ll walk away understanding that healing isn’t about forcing yourself to “just do it” — it’s about learning to trust your body, your timing, and the safe people who can help you move again.

 

Three Takeaways

1. Fear and paralysis are signs of an unsafe nervous system — not a lack of willpower.

2. You can’t move forward until you feel safe enough to — safety is the foundation for courage.

3. Real change happens when safety meets support, one small step at a time.

 

Healing begins the moment

we let someone see

the parts we’ve been hiding —

and discover we’re still safe.

  

 

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