What to Do When You’re Stuck in the Survival Zone
Feeling trapped in the survival zone can be overwhelming. It's a state where life's challenges seem insurmountable. But, there's a way out. Let's explore strategies to break free from this cycle and reclaim control over your life.
The four energy quadrant energy zones:
Performance, Survival, Burnout, and Renewal
- The performance zone is when your energy is high and positive. You feel upbeat, engaged, challenged, and optimistic.
- When we feel threatened or devalued, control of our nervous system shifts from the prefrontal cortex to the sympathetic nervous system and we move into fight-or-flight mode. People in this zone are anxious, impatient, irritable, fearful, and self-critical
- Burnout zone: energy is low and your feelings are negative, helpless, empty, and exhausted
- Renewal zone: low but positive. It’s where you can recharge and get back to the performance zone.
Become a sprinter, not a marathoner
Human beings operate best when they move between spending and renewing energy
- Sufficient sleep – seven to eight hours a night is key to physical recovery
- Exercise that significantly raises your heart rate is especially effective at creating mental and emotional recovery
Take up something you enjoy doing just for its own sake
Find an activity you love and have given up, but could bring back into your life as a source of renewal for at least an hour or two a week
Substitute self-observation for judgment
Self-judgment arises when our inner critic gets triggered and makes us feel “less than.”
- Turning our judgment on others is one common way we try to feel “better than”
- Instead, when you notice those feelings arising, try to simply observe them – without judging yourself.
Make someone else’s life better
We all long to feel seen and valued by others, but we can’t guarantee they’ll do that for us.
- What we can always do is see and value others, which is a gift to them and makes us feel better about who we are.
When you feel bad, remember that’s not the whole story
A trigger is someone or something that prompts a surge of negative emotion
- Take a deep breath and notice where in your body you feel tension
- Just noticing allows you to gain some distance from your reaction
- Next, turn your attention to a place in your mind/body where you feel calmer and more relaxed
Create a safe space for yourself within yourself
Think of a person, place, animal, or activity that makes you feel safer and secure
- Kids have their “loveys” – everything from stuffed animals to blankies – to keep them company and provide comfort. Adults can benefit from their own steady sources of support