How To Feel Like Yourself Again: 11 Essential Habits That Pull You Out Of Survival Mode
Valerie Elash | Unsplash When life gets you down, can you learn how to get out of survival mode and back on your feet? You’re not alone. There has never been more reason to feel stressed and overwhelmed than in this era. It's more important than ever to take care of yourself now, so you don’t implode with stress and tension.
Some specific self-care strategies can quickly get you back on your feet when you're feeling overwhelmed. The benefits of self-care outweigh the adverse effects of stress, anxiety, tension, and strain. Once you recognize a situation that requires your attention, you’ll become committed to sticking with a self-care plan that works for you.
Deciding what techniques work best will help you work through — and out of — emotional exhaustion, mental burnout, and feeling spent, physically. You’ve got some choices to make — and a list to create. Being prepared with "go-to" self-care ideas will equip you to manage any situation. So, the next time you get anxious about something, you can pause and regroup.
Here are 11 essential habits that pull you out of survival mode:
1. Take a funny break
One of the best remedies for stress is to laugh. Find a blooper reel of your favorite sitcom and watch it for five minutes, allowing yourself to laugh hysterically. Afterward, take a deep breath, drop your shoulders, and go back to the challenge at hand with a new perspective.
Research shows that laughing triggers a 32% drop in your stress hormones. Even just 15 minutes of laughing can bring down intense feelings like anxiety or frustration and basically give your brain a much-needed reset.
2. Take a people-break
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Sometimes, people can push your buttons. Instead of pushing back, excuse yourself politely, and do something to break the tension.
When you choose to spend time alone, research shows it seriously cuts down on stress and makes you feel freer to be yourself. Just 15 minutes of solitude can calm down strong emotions like anxiety or anger and give you space to reset before dealing with whatever pushed your buttons.
3. Make a list
Often, you need self-care strategies that help manage your time, reduce the overwhelm, and relieve worry about what to do. Prioritizing your to-do list can help. Making a list of dinner options during the week may ease the pressure of deciding at the last minute. Is there a list that will help you?
A study by Florida State University shows that making a plan for unfinished goals frees up mental space and reduces anxiety even before you actually do the tasks. When you write things down and prioritize them, you stop the mental loop of worrying about what you might forget, which lets you actually focus on what matters.
4. Start a health log
Being mindful of what you do to keep healthy brings peace of mind. Keep a record of everything you eat, so you consciously practice good eating habits. Monitor your activity, too. And pay attention to how it makes you feel. This self-care idea takes just a few minutes and keeps you on track with your health goals.
Studies show that people who track what they eat become way more aware of their habits and feel motivated to make healthier choices. Keeping a food log helps you notice patterns without having to completely overhaul your entire diet at once.
5. Notice something beautiful, like you're seeing it for the first time.
Focus on the flower or bird as if looking through a child’s eyes with wonder. What do you see that you’ve never noticed before? Find beauty in everyday things. Next, be grateful for the revelation. This practice takes only moments and can take you far, far, away for just long enough to smile and reset.
Practicing gratitude leads to better mental health, with people experiencing way less anxiety and depression, research has concluded. When you actively notice and appreciate the small things in your life, you're basically rewiring your brain to handle stress better and stay more grounded in the present moment.
6. Turn off and tune out
It goes without saying that there's a lot of noise in our daily lives. And much of it is of little benefit to our well-being. Consequently, taking a conscious break from the clatter makes sense. The quiet time allows you to recharge and refresh your spirit. Take a breather, meditate, listen to music, or take a walk.
According to a recent study, just two minutes of silence can be more calming than listening to relaxing music and actually lower your heart rate and blood pressure. When you give your brain a break from constant noise and stimulation, you help your nervous system reset from survival mode into a calmer state.
7. Do what brings you joy
What are the activities that make you happy, relaxed, and joyful? Schedule time at least once a week to participate in one of these activities. Engross yourself so that time stands still. Yet when you finish, it will feel like it has flown. It’s a perfect stress-reliever.
Research shows that doing enjoyable activities on purpose directly improves your mood and reduces depression. When you deliberately schedule fun stuff into your day, you're not just distracting yourself from stress but actually creating positive vibes that help shift you out of survival mode.
8. Find new favorite books and movies
Keep it light. Here's another list you can start, so you are never at a loss for a story with a happy ending. Instead of the one you’re living, paying attention to another storyline gives you a much-needed brain break.
Studies show that reading for just six minutes can reduce stress levels by up to 68%, which works better than walking or drinking tea. Getting absorbed in a story gives your brain an escape from constant worry and lets you mentally transport yourself away from survival mode into a world where you can just exist without pressure.
9. Create new routines to revitalize your life
Rituals help to keep you balanced and moving forward. However, repeating the same ones day after day can make you feel like you’re in a rut. Changing those practices may spice things up. They will help you to see things from a different angle.
What if you made a two-millimeter shift, reordered the sequence, or added something new? This self-care idea can breathe new life into what has become mundane and stressful.
10. Hug your friends
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Your pets are the best companions for unconditional love, and when you are stressed, they go a long way to alleviating the tension. Be intentional about the snuggle time so that you can get the most out of it.
Open your heart and immerse yourself in receiving the love, and let the worries go. When you return to life, recall how good that made you feel. If you don’t have a pet, find your favorite loving, caring human and hug them the same way.
11. Put words on a page
Some people think journaling isn’t for them because they don’t know what to write. Give it a try, anyway. Magical things can happen, moods can shift, and you can reveal powerful insights when capturing your thoughts on paper. They can be single words or phrases to start. Full sentences are likely to follow.
When you get out of your head and open your heart, you will be amazed at how unburdened you feel. Journaling is my favorite self-care practice of them all. When you're emotionally exhausted, that’s a signal to stop and refuel.
If you're on the verge of burnout, take notice and recharge your batteries before it’s too late. When you feel drained and depleted, it’s a sure sign that your self-care strategies don't work for you.
You deserve to be operating at peak performance, but that can’t happen unless you take care of yourself. You know the metaphor of the oxygen mask — put yours on first. My favorite analogy is the teacup and saucer. You're the teacup, beautifully painted, with a gilded rim and handle. Close your eyes and imagine the colors. It has a matching saucer.
With every self-care practice, you fill your cup. As you get better at it, your cup fills to the brim and overflows. You're ready to face anything that comes at you. Stress. Adversity. Overwhelm.
And when someone needs something from you, you pour from your overflow. See how that works? Now it’s your turn to choose the best self-care strategies to keep your cup full, so you can get back on your feet quickly when life tries to knock you down.
María Tomás-Keegan is a certified career and life coach for women, transition expert, and founder of Transition & Thrive with María.
