Thriving or Surviving
"Resilience embodies the personal qualities that enable one to thrive in the face of adversity" -Kathryn Connor
Have you ever been driving home from work, got home, and then realized that you don't remember anything about the drive? I feel like the last couple of weeks, I've been on autopilot. I wake up and next thing I know, its night time. Where did the day go? Its like we don't make decisions for ourselves but just go with the flow of our routines. Autopilot has us doing things without even thinking and can have us disassociate from reality. The weather is getting warmer so I find myself not wanting to go outside or do anything aside from being indoors in the AC. This got me thinking about how I get into these episodes where I am surviving daily rather than thriving.
Autopilot has us doing things without even thinking and can have us disassociate from reality.
During times when we are thriving, we tend to feel highly motivated, get things done, were flexible, we enjoy learning, and overall just feel very optimistic. When we are in survival mode, we are simply trying to get through the day with minimal effort. This means that we usually put very minimal effort into our work or interactions with others. We choose the easy way that will offer less resistance to getting through. During these moments we may also have a fear of failure which can show up as anxiety for not getting enough things done. At the same time, we probably aren't taking accountability for our lack of action but instead blaming others.
Like a Blooming Flower
I was reading an article online that talked about how stress can cause us to enter survival mode. When we are stressed out, we are overwhelmed and our body can go into autopilot and survival mode as a defense mechanism. When we are in survival mode we can become stagnant. I like the comparison of a beautiful blooming flower that grows and becomes stronger in sunlight rather than a plant that we try to keep alive indoors.
I was feeling this way the past 2 weeks because now that I think about it, I was feeling overwhelmed. Change is overwhelming. Especially when you want to made sure you make the right choices because you don't have time for mistakes. In the last two weeks I've fallen into the trap of overthinking instead of being present in the moment.
So How do We Start Thriving?
How do we move from surviving to thriving? I think trying our best to be in the moment and savor all the little things in our day to day lives. Take control back from autopilot by being in our bodies. We can do this by going for a walk, getting our heart activated, taking time to admire nature. We can go for a drive. We can journal for a few minutes. I think the most important thing is to try to not be stagnant. As difficult as that sounds, trying to pay attention to the little things.
If youre like me, I think its also important to remind yourself that its ok to not have it all figured out all the time. Your plans are allowed to be flexible. You are allowed to change your mind. If you ever need more tools or resources make sure to visit my website and browse around. I have lots of awesome blogs, podcast episodes, and resources available.
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xoxo
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