Are you addicted to your survival mode?
When I worked as an IT consultant, living out of airplanes and hotels, I thought that I was thriving. In hindsight, I had become addicted to the rush of adrenaline that comes with living in a constant state of stress.
It was only when I started having health challenges that I started to notice the damage that I was causing myself. I almost lost vision completely in one eye and developed painful ulcers, not realizing at the time that (1) I had caused these issues and (2) I had become addicted to a life that I didn’t even like. It took many health challenges for me to realize that I was living in a survival state. But you don’t have to reach such a state to detect it and change course.
Our modern lives have become so hectic. We are constantly running from one activity to the next. Our days feel pre-programmed and years fly by in front of our eyes. We measure our progress by checking off the endless tasks on a never ending list. We feel exhausted all the time, and we don’t know how to escape.
HOW TO KNOW YOU ARE IN SURVIVAL MODE
Living in survival mode puts our bodies in physical and emotional stress, knocking our brain and body out of balance. We are trapped by soul-crushing jobs, financial debt, fear-mongering in the news, and toxic social media putting us in a never-ending state of stress. While our bodies can tolerate short-term stress, our constant worries and stress condition the body to be in a constant stressed state leading to feelings of guilt, shame, frustration, fear, anxiety, insecurity, unworthiness, sadness, and pain. All of these primary emotions related to survival hinder our growth and are derived from our constant stress state.
Stress is created by the feeling that we are losing control of our life. In a survival state, the unknown is scary and our brain functions in an incohesive state. Fortunately, there are unlimited possibilities in our world, we just need to realize the damage that our survival mode causes us to take our power back and live in a “thrival” state.
If you’re feeling these, you might be living in survival mode:
- Every task feels urgent and important.
- Your stress levels are overwhelming, causing erratic heartbeat and difficulty concentrating
- You aren’t experiencing great joy and happiness. Instead, you focus on avoiding disaster
- Everything is a reaction instead of a response. You react to everyone around you, bouncing from one crisis to another.
- You don’t have the time to be excellent or deliver excellent work
HOW TO GET OUT OF SURVIVAL MODE
I used to think that my hectic job defined my success until I realized that I was living in survival mode and that the cause of my suffering was due to how I viewed success. When I decided to redefine my worth to not be by what I accomplish but by the state I live in and the elevated emotions I experience, I observed that my life started to transform and my priorities started shifting. I switched the focus from my external world to my internal world. I switched my energy to my body, mind, heart and soul. I started creating time to sit still and go within to get myself out of survival mode.
Here are steps that can take to move from survive to thrive:
- First you need to acknowledge that you are in survival mode and notice the damage that it is causing your short- and long-term growth.
- Realize that something is broken that needs to be aligned to get you back on track. Commit to taking action to change it.
- Analyze all of your commitments to identify what truly makes a difference in your life. Step back and analyze how you got where you are.
- Forgive yourself and realize that you are where you are not only because of your mistake but because of environmental and systemic factors as well. Remember that you are resilient and have overcome so many obstacles in the past. Now is the time to get yourself back on track.
- Ask for the help you need.
HOW TO SUSTAIN YOUR THRIVAL MODE
Knowing how to stop my emotional reactions was such an important skill that I needed to gain in order to maintain a thrival state. I found that pursuing new goals that aligned with what fills my soul is healing and transformative. Outside of my survival state, I was able to see endless possibilities. I started to live in a heartfelt state that is less selfish and more selfless. The unknown became an adventure, and I no longer felt consumed by the fear that it might create.
Here are some best practices to help you sustain your thrival state:
- Revive your self-worth and prioritize your emotional health. You need to understand how your thoughts affect your emotions and consequently your biology.
- Joy is what happens when you make contact with your soul, so strive to be YOU as much as you can be.
- Incorporate gratitude, calmness, and solitude into your daily life so that your inner state is stronger than the outside world.
- Know that you can change your destiny if you practice inner work.
- Be patient with yourself. Maintaining a thrival mode is a lifelong journey of balance and intention.
We are constantly looking for answers, validation, and security from sources that are outside of ourselves. What we truly need is found within. My wish for you is to find the clarity needed to escape your survival state and the deep connection within to maintain your thrival state. If you are looking for support on your journey, I would be honored to help you discover a more harmonious and fulfilling way of living. Contact me using the form below!
May you live in a constant thrival state!
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