Can you recognize when your body is in survival mode?

Or, said differently, can you recognize the effects on your body when you have been in survival mode for a period of time?

The answer is important.

Like “fight or flight” (the instinctive response to danger each of us has inherently built into our natures), survival mode seems to be intuitive.

Sometimes, we just have to do hard things. And as women, we are really good at picking up the slack and doing those hard things.

Suck it up. Put on your big girl panties. Take care of the immediate crisis now and deal with everything else later (only later never comes and there always seems to be a crisis). Just keep swimming. . .

Most of us know what this feels like and have our own individual flavors and phrases for surviving.

I’d love to hear yours.

How Does Survival Mode Happen?

Sometimes operating in survival mode is triggered by a singular event, a significant life change, loss, injury, illness, or taking on a new role such as a caregiver.

And sometimes, it just sneaks up on us. Something in life shifting just enough to kick a part of our subconscious being into survival mode. Perhaps no imminent or obvious threat, but a perceived need for the body to operate a bit differently.

This was my most recent experience.

A bit of a life change. But overall dealing with things well.

At least on the surface.

Only my body was starting to tell a different story. With aches and pains in places I hadn’t experienced before.

When this happens, it is easy to tell oneself a story of what is going on. . .

“I just didn’t sleep well.”

“I tweaked something and it just needs to rest a few days.”

“It will go away soon.”

The story can get out of hand quickly, though, when things don’t in fact get better in a few days.

Within a short amount of time, the story can become worrisome.

“Maybe I need to see someone.”

“Maybe this is <insert scary diagnosis you found on Google when you searched you symptoms>!”

“Now other things are showing up, I’m getting worse!”

Thankfully, I have enough experience with how my body functions to recognize when something is off before I get to the worrisome story telling part.

A Personal Example

A few weeks ago, my wrists started hurting. Then my thumbs. Then I started having trouble putting pressure into my hands without my elbows aching. I had to start being mindful of how I was standing to prevent shoulder trouble. And then the ankle I twisted a few years ago started to swell and stay swollen.

In short, I knew something was off.

I also knew I wasn’t working differently than I have been for the last several years. I wasn’t sick. And I hadn’t had a recent injury.

I became more diligent about my daily myofascial at home self treatment. And I slowed down where I could.

Only things didn’t change. And I wasn’t sleeping well.

My go to in this case is ALWAYS to schedule for myself a few myofascial release sessions with a John Barnes trained therapist. Generally 2-3 sessions within a few days.

Find a John Barnes trained myofascial therapist in your area

It was not a surprise this time to discover that my wrist pain was not actually wrist trouble. The elbow aches related to the wrist pain were not actually elbow troubles. And the not sleeping or feeling rested wasn’t just because of discomfort.

What I discovered, with a bit of unwinding and allowing myself to feel more fully into my body, was that I have been operating in survival mode.

That I haven’t recognized.

Until today.

Feeling and acknowledging what my body was doing allowed space for it to begin to do something different.

As John Barnes, my mentor, says, without awareness you have no choice.

Without awareness that my body was operating in survival mode, I could not acknowledge and feel that I have actually survived.

Despite the fact that my track record of survival to date is 100%, my body was behaving as if I might not indeed survive this current experience.

My body needed to feel that I actually have. Survived.

Not just think it, but feel it. Deep in my bones. Deep in my cells.

“I survived.”

It is one of the most powerful phrases and feelings in healing work that I know of. For the entirety of one’s body and being to FEEL that one has survived.

Why is this important?

Humans are amazing.

And we can do a lot of hard stuff. As mentioned previously, sometimes we have to.

But the cost of living in survival mode is high.

Many of the health challenges people experience can be linked to a body that has been operating in survival mode for an extended period of time.

If you currently describe your life as one of survival, consider what this looks like for you.

Whatever your circumstance, if you are in survival mode, you are probably experiencing significant or increased and prolonged stress, pressure, and demands that you can barely meet (if at all).

This can be physical, emotional, mental, occupational, professional, or relational stress. Regardless of the source, EVERYTHING is processed and felt through the physicality of our being.

Likely you feel overwhelmed a lot of the time, like you are barely keeping your head above water. Or like you are shouldering heavy burdens you just can’t put down.

Chances are you aren’t sleeping well, either because you can’t shut off the pressures and stress of the day. Or you are too tense with worry or trying to figure things out for the body to relax and actually rest.

Eventually the body will just stay tight and tense by default. It’s one of the most common indications something is not right in the body.

All of this causes adaptions and thickening in the myofascial tissues of the body. Which leads to myofascial restrictions.

Unaddressed, this excess tension in the myofascial tissues will scrunch, twist, and pull bones and joints together in ways they aren’t meant to (think bulging discs, joint problems, headaches).

Myofascial restrictions also affect cellular function, organ function, circulation, lymph flow, and CNS function.

Eventually this becomes symptoms. Which leads to a diagnosis.

All an effect of living in survival mode for an extended period of time with the body operating as if you may not survive.

Learn how to identify if you have myofascial restrictions

Read more about creating space for the body to heal

How Can You Reverse The Effects Of Being In Survival Mode?

The first step to reversing the effects on the body of being in survival mode is to recognize you are in survival mode.

Until you do that, it is impossible to send a different signal to your body. That, whatever is going on in life, you have actually survived. And like me, your track record of that is still 100%.

Do you know what it feels like for your body to be in survival mode?

For some of us, the answer is no. It certainly was for me most recently. Primarily because there was nothing I identified as a triggering event.

In this case, it is important to have a good understanding of what feeling good in your body is like. If you know how your body feels and operates when things are optimal, eventually you will notice that something is off.

The trouble comes when you haven’t experienced feeling good in your body for a long time. It can be difficult to know what you “normal” is.

And sometimes the normal that you are familiar with is survival mode.

In this case, you likely need some professional help. I am biased toward working with a John Barnes Myofascial Release therapist. Primarily because that is what has helped me the most.

I also prefer the John Barnes Myofascial Release approach because it works with what the body will allow. Nobody should ever be trying to force tight muscles or tissues to relax.

That is a sure way to throw the body even deeper into protection and survival mode.

Learn more here about fight or flight

Creating space in the body is essential for restoring glide to thickened and restricted tissues. As the body has more space to move, it can begin to self correct any misalignments that are causing pain or dysfunction.

Doing so in a way that the body doesn’t brace and tighten against is required.

Resolving myofascial restrictions is essential for relieving excess stress and tension on the spinal cord and central nervous system (CNS) of the body. This plays a key role in reducing anxiety or prolonged “fight or flight” responses.

Establishing habits of effective at home myofascial release self treatment will help you reset tension levels on your own each day. So your body can rest and tissues can heal as you sleep.

Over time, your normal will become one that is less about survival and more about thriving. Even if nothing else in your circumstances changes, you will have the skills to recognize the effects on your body and address them quickly.

You will also learn to notice how your body responds to the story you tell yourself. And catch when it becomes one of doom and imminent danger. With a bit of practice, it isn’t difficult to recognize how thoughts create physical responses in the body.

Physical responses of tightening, smallness, bracing, clenching, or heaviness are almost always related to the body going into “protect” and “survival” mode.

Practice resetting your central nervous system

Working with a John Barnes therapist helps all of these things and more as you build a relationship with your body and care for your myofascial system.

This is the KEY to not just surviving, but thriving.

If you could use some help, simply use the form below to reach out for a FREE consultation. I look forward to talking with you.