Are You Stuck in Survival Mode? Here’s How to Tell (and What to Do About It)

I didn’t realize I was in survival mode for years.

I just thought I was handling it. Holding everything together. Doing what needed to be done.
Until I wasn’t.

Because the thing about survival mode is—you don’t always see it while you’re in it. You’re so busy just getting through the day, you don’t even realize you’re stuck.

But looking back, the signs were all there:
✅ Snapping over little things that shouldn’t bother me that much.
✅ Feeling constantly on edge, like I could never fully relax.
✅ Either completely shutting down or exploding when things got too much.
✅ Feeling guilty because I wanted to be the calm, patient parent—but I just couldn’t.

If you’re nodding along, you might be in survival mode too.

So… What is Survival Mode?

It’s not just a phrase—it’s a nervous system response. Your body is literally stuck in fight, flight, freeze or fawn.

Think of it like this: If a lion was chasing you, your body would go into full-on survival mode—pumping adrenaline, increasing your heart rate, getting you ready to RUN. But in parenting, there’s no lion. There’s just… life.

💥 The stress of juggling everything.
💥 The emotional load of carrying everyone’s feelings.
💥 The exhaustion of always being on without a break.

And if you never get a chance to reset your nervous system, that stress builds up. Your body and brain stay in constant high alert, even when the threat is gone.

That’s why you might feel like you’re always on edge, exhausted, or reacting in ways you don’t want to—because your nervous system is just doing what it thinks it needs to do to keep you safe.

Why This Isn’t Sustainable

For a long time, I thought this was just normal.
That being overwhelmed was just part of parenting.
That I just had to be stronger, push through, keep going.

But survival mode isn’t meant to be a long-term way of living.

🔥 It drains your energy.
🔥 It makes you reactive instead of responsive.
🔥 It disconnects you from your kids, your body, and yourself.

And I know this, because I lived it.

When I became a single parent (and a long time before that to be honest), survival mode became my default setting. There were times I felt like I was drowning, and I didn’t know how to get out. And begging for a break only left me feeling worse because I wade to feel weak, like I couldn’t handle it and everyone else was better than me.

But what changed everything was realizing that regulation isn’t about willpower—it’s about nervous system support.

How to Break Free From Survival Mode

The good news? You don’t have to stay stuck here.

You don’t need to just try harder or beg for a break that you absolutely deserve by the way — you need actual tools to reset your nervous system and bring safety back to your body.

And while it would be amazing to have some proper ‘you time’, I have you covered for those times that help just isn’t available.

And that’s why I created the Co-Regulation Challenge.

💛 5 days. Simple, powerful tools. No guilt, no shame—just real support.
💛 Learn how your nervous system sets the tone for your home (and how to shift it).
💛 Discover simple, realistic ways to regulate—even on the busiest days where support is just not coming.
💛 Create a home that feels calm, connected, and safe—for you and your kids. Because you all deserve that.

You deserve to thrive, not just survive.

👉🏼 Sign up now and take the first step out of survival mode. (It’s Free!)