Thecuy, not everyone realizes when they start feeling overwhelmed. Some keep working as usual, keep replying to messages, and keep fulfilling other responsibilities, even though their mind feels increasingly crowded.
If it continues unabated, the stress experienced can make a person feel like they’re just trying to survive. This condition is often referred to as survival mode, whose signs sometimes appear as minor changes.
Citing Real Simple, there are several signs of survival mode that can appear in daily life. Here are some that Thecuy need to recognize.
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<h2 class="fw-bold fs-5">1. Frequently Forgetting and Struggling to Concentrate</h2>
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<p>Have you ever entered a room only to suddenly forget why you went there, Thecuy? Or do you find yourself often misplacing items and suddenly forgetting something you just meant to say?</p>
Experiencing this occasionally is actually quite normal, especially when your activities are busy. However, if this condition becomes more frequent amid accumulating pressure, it may be a sign that your mind is overwhelmed.
Clinical social worker Nicole Ivelevitch explains that when the brain is overly focused on considering many demands, our memory declines. As a result, simple tasks that used to feel easy now become much harder.
2. Frequently Waking Up at Night
Image of a woman waking up in the middle of the night looking anxious/Foto: Pexels/cottonbro studio
Waking up in the middle of the night feeling anxious is one sign that you’re in the survival mode phase. Even when your body is extremely tired, your mind still feels busy thinking about work matters.
Archana Shrestha, a burnout recovery expert and emergency physician, explains that this phenomenon is closely related to burnout condition. We tend to feel afraid when imagining how to survive this exhausting routine for a long time.
You don’t need to panic immediately if this only happens occasionally, Thecuy. However, if your mind is constantly full and makes it difficult for you to sleep again, that’s a strong signal that your body needs total rest.
3. More Easily Offended
Image of a woman sitting at a work desk looking upset and tired while facing a lot of work/Foto: Magnific/magnific
Thecuy, have you lately been feeling easily upset over trivial matters? Little things that you could usually handle calmly suddenly make you want to get angry and lose patience.
Such mood changes sometimes make you confused about yourself. You may realize that your reaction feels excessive, even though the actual problem is not that big.
Ivelevitch mentions that high stress levels can indeed make our brain system much more sensitive. As a result, small disturbances that you could previously tolerate now become very easy triggers for anger.
4. Continuously Trapped in Negative Feelings
Image of a woman sitting alone near a window with an empty gaze/Foto: Magnific/magnific
Thecuy, sometimes we can feel trapped in anxiety and overwhelm for quite a long time. Shrestha explains that this condition is one sign that you’re in the survival mode phase.
When the burden of thoughts piles up, it becomes increasingly difficult to feel happiness. You may feel that your days are always enveloped by a gloomy and exhausting mood.
This condition doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel sad or should always appear happy every moment. However, if those negative feelings start to dominate and disrupt your daily activities, that’s a sign that your mental health needs more attention.
5. Feeling the Need to Control Everything
Image of a woman checking a to-do list on a work desk/Foto: Magnific/magnific
The desire to control everything to go according to plan can sometimes become a tiring trap. You feel you must maintain full control over every detail of activity to avoid even the smallest mistake.
The impact is seen when you start feeling reluctant to delegate group tasks to colleagues or friends. Your mind immediately feels stressed and assumes the worst when the situation on the ground doesn’t match expectations.
Such excessive perfectionism will eventually exhaust your physical and mental energy for nothing. Learning to accept change gradually can be a good first step to reduce the burden of thought.
Well, those are some things that can be signs that you’re in survival mode. So, Thecuy, take a moment to rest when your body and mind already feel very tired.
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<p>(naq/naq)</p>
terimakasih sudah mengunjungi thecuy. 🙂
Saya adalah penulis di thecuy.com, sebuah website yang berfokus membagikan tips keuangan, investasi, dan cara mengelola uang dengan bijak, khususnya untuk pemula yang ingin belajar dari nol.
Melalui thecuy.com, saya ingin membantu pembaca memahami dunia finansial tanpa ribet, dengan bahasa yang sederhana.