3 signs you're in survival mode (& what to do about it)
I’ve been feeling really grounded and peaceful recently, which is quite a new sensation for me.
You know that feeling when you feel really warm inside, life feels easy, and your body just feels balanced, calm, and good? This is what happens when we shift into the rest-and-digest state, often referred to as the parasympathetic nervous system.
This grounded state feels so good for me because I don’t experience it very often, so when I do, I absolutely relish it.
I know I’m not alone in feeling more stressed and anxious than I’d like to be. Life can be so testing at times, and even when we seem to be in a period of calm, past trauma and stress can still quietly disrupt the nervous system in the background.
In my Divine Healing sessions with clients, we work on releasing a huge amount of stress and trauma, sometimes to the point where the release becomes physical - such as through shaking, retching, or burping (yes, really!) - as well as deeply emotional.
As someone who practises what they preach, I work hard on myself to stay grounded, calm, and balanced. Yet, sometimes I slip into survival mode without realising it until it’s just a bit too late.
I have very strong Soul Contract energies, meaning I need a lot of grounding and self-care. And, as I recently learned from a wonderful Human Design practitioner, I’m also a Projector, which means my energy type benefits from rest and taking things slow.
As I settle into this place of relaxation, I wanted to share some signs of survival mode and how to gently bring ourselves back into balance, where life flows more easily, peacefully, and gracefully.
Disrupted sleep as a survival mode sign
One of the biggest signs of survival mode is disrupted sleep.
This might look like difficulty switching off at night, with your mind circling around the events of the day or the to-do list for tomorrow. You may feel mental restlessness or a lack of physical tiredness, or perhaps both mind and body feel “on,” humming, and busy.
You may also wake up in the middle of the night, struggling to fall back asleep or sleeping so lightly that you’re tossing and turning all night.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, a wisdom tradition thousands of years old, links different times of night to different organs in the body, following what’s known as the meridian body clock. Meridians are energy channels distributing chi, or energy, throughout the body.
I absolutely loved using this body clock system with my Kinesiology clients as it was incredibly accurate to get a deeper understanding of their emotional stress.
If you’re waking up between 11pm and 3am, this may relate to the liver and gallbladder, often associated with stored anger, frustration, rage, and resentment. Waking from 3am to 7am relates to the lungs and large intestine, connected with grief, sadness, feeling stuck, and letting go.
If you’re in survival mode, mornings may feel particularly challenging. You might feel glued to the bed, utterly exhausted, or wake up wide awake and overstimulated for no apparent reason. Sometimes it feels like you’re waking up to a threat, which is why anxiety can strike so strongly first thing in the morning.
Bringing the body out of stress can be as simple as prioritising more rest. Even getting a few more hours of sleep each night, consistently over a few weeks, can make a massive difference.
How reactivity, overwhelm and irritation signals stress
Another clue that you’re in survival mode is how you react to events throughout the day.
When we’re in survival mode, we’re easily triggered because our bodies are attuned to sense threats and dangers. This state - also known as fight, flight, or freeze - primes us to defend ourselves, flee from danger, or hide from threats.
In this state, even small events can feel like an attack. In a relaxed state, we can respond calmly, but when in survival mode, we can only react.
Reacting in survival mode might look like panic, stress, overwhelm, or irrational behaviours because we aren’t calm, balanced, or grounded enough to think clearly. We might burst into tears over something small or feel a sudden surge of anger while driving. These may seem minor, but they’re clear signals.
Meeting our basic needs - like getting enough sleep, eating regular meals, hydrating, exercising, and spending time in nature - can bring the physical body into a grounded state, which feeds positively into the emotional and mental bodies.
Often, our subconscious minds cling to survival and chaos, as they’re familiar. The key is challenging these patterns and addressing self-sabotaging behaviours that keep us from properly nurturing ourselves and our bodies.
The inability to slow down as a warning sign
A strong indicator of survival mode is the inability to slow down.
As someone familiar with this feeling - having experienced cycles of near burnout and constantly feeling pressed for time - it’s something I recognise all too well. When I’m in survival mode, I try to accomplish as much as I possibly can, feeling unsafe if I relax.
This often comes from a deeply embedded (and perhaps multi-generational) belief that equates rest with laziness. I’ve also held the belief that it’s unsafe to relax.
In survival mode, we are in fight, flight, or freeze, none of which are restful. Each response relies on adrenaline and other stimulating hormones, regardless of whether we’re in real danger or not.
Because the body reacts to whatever the mind believes to be true, our thoughts are incredibly powerful. The challenge is that we often aren’t aware of the beliefs buried in our subconscious mind that control so much of our reality.
If you find yourself unable to slow down, switch off, relax, or let go of what’s on your mind, you may be stuck in that sympathetic nervous system of stress. I call this feeling ‘wired but tired,’ where you’re running on false energy, deeply exhausted but unable to fully relax.
When you feel like a whirlwind, letting your energy out can be helpful. I find a brisk walk outside, yoga, or any movement practice massively beneficial in safely releasing built-up energy.
How to return to inner calm
If you’re caught in a cycle of stress, survival, and a lack of inner peace, perhaps it’s time to bring yourself back to balance.
One of the most powerful ways I do this is by keeping my physical body rested, grounded, and well-nurtured, along with engaging in deep emotional healing work to release layers of past stresses, larger traumas, past-life vows, and deeply ingrained beliefs that keep me stuck.
If you need some support, I have many blog posts to help support you in finding your inner resilience, balance and calm, or reach out out to me to enquire about Divine Healing to bring you out of stress and back into balance.
Sign up for my newsletter to receive monthly guidance on navigating life with trust and confidence. You'll also get a set of daily reminders to build emotional resilience and support your healing journey.
