Hello Survival Mode
Anyone else tired of 2020?! It has been a whirlwind year so far and it’s not over yet, we’ve still got winter to come. Read my post on dealing with winter blues here. Everything has been extra hard this year with the pandemic, issues of social injustice and raging wildfires at the end of summer. Most of us are somewhere in our grief process for any number of things from what life pre-March 2020 was like. Mourning life before and struggling with the unknowns of what comes next. In enters our survival mode.
Survival mode come into play many times in our lives. If you’ve been in a scary relationship, had a hostile parent or been in a toxic job you may recognize these feelings. It’s that state you get into where you on edge, out of it a lot, you can’t focus, time moves strangely and just getting through the day feels like an effort. Our normal coping strategies are hard to access or not an option. I know I can get stuck in scrolling on my phone and not even remember what I was looking for or at.
You may have the urge to push through or you might be stuck in that frozen type place. Sometimes we really are not safe, emotionally, mentally or physically and getting through the day takes priority. This is the time to get cozy with the fears, the unknowns and trust our bodies to help us navigate it. Like a old worn in blanket it can comfort us from the world and encourage rest and reserving our energy. Our needs shift to seeking nourishment and making our body feel safe which may mean distraction, slipping back into old habits or just doing less. Survival mode can be a reminder that our body needs a slower pace and more stillness in our day while it prepares us for the unknowns of the future.
Accept that inside you know what to do when you are activated this way and you may go in and out of survival mode throughout the weeks and months that come. Try to notice when you feel less present and use that time to try deeper restful actions – napping, sitting down with music on, make a warm cup of tea and let your body take some time to do its work. Gradually reconnect to the present by stretching your body, grounding yourself to your senses and let out a slow exhale.
This time can allow you to get back in touch with yourself and from it you may be able to connect with how resourceful we really are, how all these unknowns and your world thrown upside down is hard but survivable with trust in yourself and love. There can be space for envisioning what’s next, deepening connections and practicing flexibility with how your days may shift and morph into something new.
What are your top survival mode tips? Let me know in the comments.
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