Letting Go of Survival Mode
Our bodies respond to chronic stress in many different ways. One of those ways is survival mode. But focusing on only our most basic needs does not allow us think, grow, or flourish. Even if survival mode protects us in some ways, in the longer term it holds us back.
In this article for Therapy for Black Girls, psychologist and professor Dr. Raquel Martin explains survival mode and how to deal with it. The signs of survival mode include:
- Feeling frustrated quickly by minor inconveniences
- Difficulty focusing or planning for the future
- Constant exhaustion
- Trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep
- Increased heart rate
- Weakened immune system
To overcome survival mode, we need to identify the sources of the stress that's causing our response. Think about when the symptoms began. Did survival mode begin in relation to a specific event? Do the feelings get stronger when we are around certain people or in certain spaces? Even if it is not possible to change the situation causing stress, we can use coping skills to make the burden easier. Activities like journaling, meditating, crafting, and walking can minimize stress and break us out of survival mode.
Most of the time people do not realize that they have entered survival mode because they have been there for so long. Survival mode is a stress response. Our body responds to stress in multiple ways to make sure that we are protected and able to make it out of the situation. However, there is a significantly different bodily response to acute stress, which is intense and short, and chronic stress which is recurring. While it is helpful for our bodies to enter survival mode when met with immediate threats, remaining in survival mode because of experiencing chronic stress causes our body to break down.
SOURCE: Therapy for Black Girls • AUTHOR: Raquel Martin, Ph.D., HSP • LAST UPDATED: May 9, 2023
