Survival Mode Is Exhausting—Here’s How You Can Calm Your Thoughts

Survival mode can have you living on the edge, making you feel like there’s just not enough time in the day. It can cause your thoughts to race, to have you feeling stressed out, and never really being able to fully relax. I find that as a mom, it can get be very easy to feel like you’re always on the go and never get enough time to sit down and relax. 

Being in survival mode can make you feel overwhelmed and maybe even anxious. 

In this blog post, we will discuss practical ways to calm your thoughts and your mind when you always feel “on” and just need to sit down for a second. 

Sometimes, we may have a hard time knowing if we are just temporarily stressed or living in survival mode. I get it. When you are in a state of survival for a long enough time, then you may begin to view this feeling as normal. 

Here are some signs that you may be in survival mode:

• Constant mental overload
• Feeling chronically tired
• Emotional numbness
• Heightened anxiety or alertness
• Overthinking everything
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability or snapping easily
• Feeling trapped or stuck
• Neglecting self-care
• Difficulty saying no
• Physical symptoms of stress
• Avoiding pleasure or fun
• Disconnection from others
• Perfectionism or hyper-responsibility
• Relying on short-term coping 

To me, the worst part about feeling like this is that your thoughts keep racing, but you want them to stop. 

When you are used to living like this, your brain may be looking for problems to solve even when there are none. You’re used to overthinking to stay in control. 

The good news is that you don’t have to live like this forever. You can learn to calm your thoughts and relax your mind. 

What do I mean by this? Starting small can look like a lot of things like breaking down your day to make it easier. For example, if you have a lot of errands to run or important tasks, list the most important ones first and get those down first. If you are not able to get to everyone that day, then it’s okay as long as the important things are out of the way. 

Another option is time blocking. This is when you block out a certain amount of time and you only do one task during that block of time. So, for example, if you need to clean the house, block some time maybe between 10am-12pm to clean the house. When you get to 12pm, move onto the next task that needs to get done. 

Sometimes, you just have to step away. This can look different for different people. Some people may want to just take some quiet time reading a book, others may want to take a long bath, and others may want to go to the gym. Whatever a mental break looks like for you, then do it.

I know for me personally, I love to go outside on a walk. Nature is so relaxing and I find it very easy to calm my mind when I’m outside. 

Let me explain this. When you have racing thoughts, sometimes you may need to let those thoughts pass and let them go. In my opinion, the problem begins when people get stuck in their negative thoughts and don’t let them go. I know this can sound easier said than done, but what I have found helpful for me is journaling. Journaling allows you to look deep within yourself, process your emotions, and it helps you to control your mind. 

Another option that I find helpful is meditation. Meditation has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. 

Not everyone and everything deserves your attention. When you give your attention out to people who don’t deserve it, then you could potentially be draining your energy. 

Some examples of this are people who are always involved in drama and try to pull you into it, engaging with toxic family members, or even scrolling on social media watching negative content. 

This tip can be the hardest for most of us that are so used to living in survival mode. It can be easy to make excuses on why be need to slow down and care for ourselves. 

Don’t think I’m crazy for what I’m about to say, but talking to myself helps me slow down. Sometimes, I have to tell myself, okay you did enough go ahead and relax. 

Taking care of yourself can seem like an obvious tip but it can be one of the hardest. When you’re in survival mode, the last thing that you think about is taking care of yourself. It is so important to rest when needed, nourish yourself, and engage in self–care routines to help get out of survival mode. Adding these self-care routines slowly, could make a big difference in how you begin to feel.

Getting out of survival mode isn’t easy. It takes time and effort. Some days may be harder than others. Some days may be emotional but being consistent will go a long way in getting out of survival mode and calming your mind and thoughts. 7

You don’t have to fix everything right now but do a little bit at a time to notice small progress over time. The goal is to get out of survival mode and to slow down and enjoy life.