What happens when we keep going, keep functioning, keep showing up while our nervous system quietly remains stuck in survival mode?

In this episode of the Sacred Changemakers Podcast, I’m joined by Petra Brunnbauer, Mind Body Coach, founder of the Jōrni wellbeing platform, host of the globally ranked Jōrni Podcast, and author of The Functional Freeze Formula. With a Master’s degree in Psychology and ongoing doctoral research in Mind-Body Medicine, Petra brings both scientific rigor and deep humanity to the conversation about chronic stress and healing.

This was a conversation I truly enjoyed, and one I personally needed. I learned so much. Petra has a rare ability to name what so many people are living without turning it into pathology or self-blame. She helps us understand how long-term stress affects us across mental, emotional, physical, and energetic levels, and why so many capable, caring people find themselves functioning on the outside while feeling shut down, exhausted, or disconnected within.

Together, we explore the concept of Functional Freeze, the misunderstandings about stress that keep us stuck in survival, and what becomes possible when we approach wellbeing as foundational rather than something we attend to only in crisis. We also talk about why traditional stress management often falls short, and what a truly holistic path out of chronic stress can look like.

This is a conversation for coaches, leaders, and changemakers who sense that pushing through is no longer sustainable and that a more humane, integrated way of living and leading is being called forward.

Key Takeaways

What Functional Freeze is and why so many people live in it without realizing
How chronic stress impacts us across mind, emotions, body, and energy
Common myths about stress that keep people functioning while remaining in survival
Why traditional stress management often misses the root of the issue
What shifts when we begin to understand and listen to the body
How wellbeing can become a foundation for life and leadership, not a crisis response

You can learn more about Petra and her work through the Jōrni wellbeing platform and her book The Functional Freeze Formula. And if this conversation resonates, I invite you to listen slowly. There’s a lot here that meets us beneath the surface.

Learn More About Today’s Guest

The Jorni website ****→ https://thejorni.com
Book: The Functional Freeze Formula by Petra Brunnbauer → bio.thejorni.com
Petra on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbrunnbauer/

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Books by Jayne Warrilow:

‘Becoming: Poems From The Thresholds Of Change’ → https://amzn.to/42DM1WI
‘Beyond Profit: The Sacred Changemaker’s Guide To Reimagining Business And Leading Regenerative Change → https://amzn.to/40g3By5
The 10 Day Coaches MBA: The Small Business Book For Coaches Who Want To Play Bigger → https://amzn.to/46yJRZP

Connect with Jayne on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynewarrilow/

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About Sacred Changemakers

Sacred Changemakers is leading a coaching (r)evolution, where coaches move beyond fixing individuals to helping shape a new world. Rooted in resonance, soul, and sacred impact, we guide coaches to become the kind of humans the future truly needs.

If that resonates, learn more: LINK → https://SacredChangemakers.com

191. Exploring Functional Freeze: When Chronic Stress Becomes A Survival Response with Petra Brunnbauer