We are not just spiritual beings. We also have a responsibility to these physical bodies to make sure they are safe and well taken care of. It is very difficult to be spiritual when our physical needs are not met. This is why we must all work to ensure that people everywhere have access to affordable medicine, shelter, safety, clothing; and clean food, water and air.
This survival mode is not a bad thing. It’s why you and I are alive today. It is our body telling us, “HEY, I NEED SOMETHING URGENTLY!”
The problem is when we can’t shut off survival mode because our mind has gone wild with worry. It’s when we have done everything we need to do to survive, and yet our mind is still screaming at us. When this happens, we stay stuck in a constant, and sometimes subtle, state of fear, anxiety, panic and stress.
Most of the time, especially people living in the West, we do have our needs met. It is our outsized and unmet desires that create the illusion of a threat.
But even if we are truly struggling for survival, like the Buddha and Jesus who both left home with barely a penny in their pockets, liberation from fear is possible.
In the following article, I discuss why we get stuck in survival mode, and I will share the spiritual tools to overcome fear so we can be at peace no matter our situation.
Why Some People Are Always Stuck in Survival Mode
There are many things that can initially cause us to be overworriers. Some things are biological and genetic. There could be generational trauma in our family, and we keep those memories in our genetics.
The most common initial cause is having one or both parents be chronic worriers. Many parents are very stressed and they have not learned the skills to manage and release their stress. They are busy, they work hard, and they do not know that there is a better way to go through life than accumulating stress. They believe that believing everything is life or death will keep them and their family safe.
Even if a person grows up rich, they may feel stuck in survival mode. At school, we can feel like our survival depends on being liked and accepted. Successful parents may be hard to please, and so we may fight for their approval too. This is also rational. For most of human civilization, being banished from society was a fate worse than death, and often meant certain death.
Other causes of survival mode can be hormonal, or even dietary. If we are severely lacking a nutrient, our body can feel like it’s starving and go into survival mode.
Today, we even see a rise of pessimism spurred on by the news media and social media. To get clicks and views, every news story must convey danger around every corner. Even though we live in the wealthiest and safest time in human history, we are also more frightened and anxious than ever before. We subconsciously think to ourselves, “Until I have ten million dollars in the bank, I cannot relax because I will be in danger of losing my house. What if I lose my job? What if the market crashes? What if…”
There is however another cause that is even more responsible for us getting stuck in survival mode: our own choices and behaviors. We are all born with certain predispositions and into certain circumstances. But we all have a choice at the end of the day. Will we remain enslaved by our predispositions and be a victim of circumstance? Or, will we overcome them through mind training and the practice of presence?
Some people are naturally able to face stressful circumstances with ease and enjoyment. Other people tend to become overly stressed and anxious. But no matter where we fall on that spectrum, it is up to each of us to decide what we do from here on out.
How to Get Out of Survival Mode
The first thing we have to realize is that it is not our situation that causes panic. It is the habit of panicking that causes us to panic. Anything that we do automatically, uncontrollably, and by second nature, is a habit. And like any habit, we are able to quit and form newer, better habits.
We must recognize on a subconscious level how we believe that panic helps us. We must see how we falsely believe that it serves us in some way. Then, we must meditate deeply on the truth: that panic always makes situations worse.
Because in school and at many jobs we are taught through discipline, we mistakenly believe we must be strict on ourselves to achieve great results. But the opposite is true.
While stress is essential to fight or flee, in all other cases it drains us of our energy and debilitates us. That’s why a panic attack is literally our own body attacking us.
Fear, stress and anxiety kill creativity, enthusiasm, optimism and courage — all things we need to succeed and survive. So even if we are homeless, investing 5 or 10 minutes a day by calming our mind and body are essential to getting out of survival mode, achieving more success, and actually enjoying this one precious life we have regardless of our financial circumstances.
The root cause of survival mode is an untamed mind. It is a mind that, despite our attentions, obsesses over worse-case scenarios, doom and gloom. So we must do these two things:
1. Mind-Training to Get out of Survival Mode
Mind-training is putting your higher self back in charge of your mind. It means realizing how the ego has taken over your mind. When we take back control of our mind, it becomes a powerful tool of innovation and creativity.
The untamed mind focuses on problems and what it doesn’t have. It gets angry and jealous at other people’s wealth. The tamed mind creates a new reality by focusing on solutions and the assets you already have.
The way we take back the reins of our mind is by becoming aware of how our mind operates. Through understanding, wisdom arises.
Notice your thoughts. Notice how they make you feel. Notice if the thoughts are helpful or not. Ask yourself what you really should be thinking about instead, and guide your mind in that direction.
We must pluck out the seeds of envy, fear, anger and lack. We must plant the seeds of safety, compassion, confidence and abundance.
Mantras and repetition are great ways to turn conscious thoughts into subconscious ways of being. Such as, “I am safe, creative and wise,” or, “I achieve anything I set out to do,” or, “The universe always provides.”
By staying alert to your mind you can prevent it from going to dark and scary places. Every time you do, you create a new habit of being positive, relaxed, and more effective in your thinking.
2. Practicing Presence to Get Out of Survival Mode
There is really nothing more important in our lives than practicing presence. If we are lost in thought our whole life, we will have missed out on everything. Presence is where everything happens. Everything else is just in our imagination.
So don’t just stay positive, stay present. Practice being fully in the here and now. Whatever you do, try to notice the inner stillness while you do it. This is the key to preserving energy so you can achieve great things.
There is no thought more important than being present and still. The more stillness you have, the more insights and inspiration can enter your mind.
The more present you are, the more peaceful and relaxed you can be because the screaming voice in your head finally becomes quiet.
Just one second of presence breaks your stream of thought and your next thought will come from a place of peace instead of panic and worry.
All you have to do is listen fully, see fully, feel your body fully. Whatever you perceive in the here and now, perceive it fully. Keep guiding your attention back to this moment. The more you do that, the more you will become fully alive. The more you will become aware of opportunities when they present themselves. And the more you will be able to do and achieve without creating problems and obstacles in your mind.
Everything you have to do will still get done, but you won’t create needless stress or pressure on yourself. It is external action with internal stillness. Life is action. We are always doing something. Whether it is celebrating or cleaning up a mess, the only difference is the story we tell ourselves about it. Presence allows us to rise above all narratives, to just be, and to bask in the peace and bliss of oneness.
How to Go from Surviving to Thriving
It’s very natural to have anxious thoughts of survival. The thinking mind’s job is survival after all. But we can either use those thoughts for motivation, inspiration, and the creativity to achieve more; or they can use us and bring us down. If we accept those anxious thoughts, use them, and even embrace them, then the fear and anxiety go away.
This means practicing allowing whatever thoughts arise to come and go. Don’t chase them. Just accept them.
The ego is like a bad friend who follows us everywhere, never stops talking, and just says whatever pops into their mind. It’s annoying.
So when it says it wants something, that it won’t be happy until it gets it, just let those desires come and go. The truth is, there is nothing stopping you from being happy right now. Life has its ups and downs, but peace and joy can be everlasting states.
The more we can be happy with nothing, the more likely we are to succeed. People want to hire people who seem like they don’t need the job because they’re getting too many job offers. People want to do deals with people who act like they don’t need your business because they are so good at business.
It’s not the success that comes first. It’s the mindset of success that comes first. When you feel you have everything, you will surely get it.
By recognizing how desire makes us suffer, we can become free from desire. Of course we need a home and food and safety. Of course we need to do whatever it takes to get those things. But the question is, can you do those things while being happy and enjoying the journey? The answer is a resounding yes.
All it takes is presence, positivity, and perseverance. There is absolutely nothing to fear. Only things to do. So do them wisely.
As the Buddha said, sickness and death are coming for all of us, so we might as well be loving and joyful. What else is there to do with our short time on this earth?
Path to Peace with Todd Perelmuter Newsletter
Question Answered in This Blog:
Dear Todd, I am having a hard time separating myself, my body, and my needs for water, food, safety, shelter, etc.. from the lower order of constituents we’re made from. For example, I can see the peace of connectedness but at a higher level the anxiety of survival.
