{"id":1059,"date":"2025-07-07T19:27:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T19:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/?p=1059"},"modified":"2025-07-07T19:27:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T19:27:18","slug":"living-in-survival-mode","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/living-in-survival-mode\/","title":{"rendered":"Living In Survival Mode"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>With everything going on in your work life right now, does it sometimes feel like you\u2019re trying to walk through quick sand? Do you barely have the energy to make it through the day, often feeling on edge and exhausted? The cloud of uncertainty you\u2019re living under right now may have caused a shift from feeling like you\u2019re thriving to living in \u2018survival mode\u2019. And the symptoms you\u2019re experiencing are a normal response to stress, not a reflection on your strength or capability as a person. It\u2019s your body&#8217;s evolutionary response to danger and is meant to protect you in times of threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What Is \u2018Survival Mode\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve probably heard the term before, but what exactly does \u2018survival mode\u2019 mean? When you&#8217;re in survival mode, your brain is focused on getting through challenges. It\u2019s constantly on alert to protect you from threats and can stop you from resting or enjoying life. Survival mode can appear differently in different people. For some, it looks more like anxiety, and in others, flatness and depression. For example, if you have anxiety, you feel hypervigilant and on high alert. In those with constant low mood, lack of energy and feeling \u2018flat\u2019, the parasympathetic nervous system may be over-functioning. In both cases, the nervous system has become dysregulated in response to stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re knee-deep in survival mode, particularly for a long period, it can be difficult to identify the symptoms. Here are 5 common signs to look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Difficulty making decisions:<\/strong> When you\u2019re in survival mode, even small decisions can feel overwhelming. Choices that used to be easy and straightforward, like deciding what to eat or what to wear, might feel challenging and even impossible at times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Feeling unmotivated:<\/strong> Activities and tasks that used to excite you might now feel draining or pointless. You may feel a general lack of motivation and may start feeling down on yourself for being \u2018lazy\u2019. But it\u2019s far from it &#8211; it&#8217;s a sign that your mind and body need a break.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of focus and concentration:<\/strong> You may find it hard to concentrate on tasks or keep forgetting things. A lack of focus can happen when your brain is overloaded with stress and anxiety.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Frequent mood swings and irritability:<\/strong> The constant tension and anxiety that comes with survival mode can make your mood change quickly and you might find yourself becoming irritated by small things that didn\u2019t use to bother you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inability to relax or unwind:<\/strong> Your mind might be racing constantly, making it difficult to enjoy downtime, hobbies or rest properly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Persistent, unresolved stress is a key indicator of survival mode. It\u2019s normal to feel stress from time to time, but if this stress doesn&#8217;t go away and starts affecting your daily life, it&#8217;s a sign you&#8217;re stuck in a survival state. Extended periods can have major impacts on everything from your physical health to your relationships and overall quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So many of us are facing unprecedented challenges in our work life, but feeling stuck in survival mode and unable to plan for the future doesn\u2019t have to feel like your \u2018new normal\u2019. Working with a coach, like <strong>Leah M Joppy and Associates<\/strong>, provides a fresh perspective, goal setting and strategies to move from merely surviving to thriving. To learn more, call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at <a href=\"mailto:leah@lmja.com\">leah@lmja.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With everything going on in your work life right now, does it sometimes feel like you\u2019re trying to walk through quick sand? Do you barely have the energy to make it through the day, often feeling on edge and exhausted? The cloud of uncertainty you\u2019re living under right now may have caused a shift from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1061,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[58,4,2,6,3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1059"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1059"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1060,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1059\/revisions\/1060"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}