Tips For Surviving Survival Mode

Among working moms who are also homeschooling, many of us have experienced survival mode at one time or another. Some days we need all the tips for surviving survival mode! 

Tired. Exhausted. Just dragging yourself through the day.

Working homeschool moms everywhere are struggling, desperately trying to keep up with everything. More moms are in survival mode than ever.

It’s not hard to see why. Juggling work, homeschooling, and taking care of a family is no easy feat. The constant demands and responsibilities can quickly add up, leaving moms feeling overwhelmed and burned out.

Survival mode is a common response to stress, and it can manifest in different ways for different people. Some may find themselves unable to focus, experiencing brain fog or forgetfulness, while others may struggle with feelings of anxiety, depression, or even physical symptoms such as headaches or fatigue.

While survival mode can feel all-consuming and impossible to escape, it is possible to find your way out. By implementing certain strategies and tips, you can take steps towards achieving a more balanced and sustainable lifestyle.

In this blog post, I will share some effective tips for surviving survival mode, offering actionable advice to help you manage stress, increase productivity, and improve your overall well-being.

Recognizing Survival Mode

Before I share tips for surviving survival mode, it’s important to find out if you are experiencing survival mode.

It’s hard to take steps to get out of survival mode if you don’t know you are in it.

What is survival mode? “Survival mode” often is described as trying to get through each day, putting one foot in front of the other and feeling like there is no end in sight. Survival mode is more than having a bad day. 

Once you recognize you are in survival mode, you need tips for surviving survival mode. 

7 Tips For Surviving Survival Mode

When I was going through survival mode, it was rough. 

I was working full-time outside the home, homeschooling two small children, and trying to do everything I did when I was a stay-at-home mom. But you know on less time, energy and sleep. 

My family was great after I started communicating and asking for help. But no matter how great they are, survival mode is HARD. 

Here are a few things that made surviving day-to-day a bit easier.

1. Find Your People

I can not say this enough. The key to working and homeschooling is community. 

You cannot do this alone without ending up in survival mode. So find your people, wherever they are, be it online or offline, and hang on to these relationships. 

Reach out to connect, chat and ask for help. So many times over the past 14 years, a text message to a friend has been a sanity saver. 

Disclosure: I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Find people on the same path as you who understand what it is like to work and homeschool and will not judge you. 

A few places to look are:

• Online groups such as Facebook 
• Paid memberships
• In-person co-ops
• Homeschool groups

And yes, I’ll admit that is not easy, but they are out there. 

2. Planners & To-Do Lists

When you are in survival mode, your brain is focused on surviving, which means it is hard to remember all the things you need to do. 

Using a planner and to-do lists can help you keep track of where you need to be, what you need to do, and when you need to do it. 

I recommend using an online planner that works on your phone, such as Homeschool Planet or Trello. 

I also like to use a paper planner because it allows me to see the whole week at a glance, whereas on my phone, it is too difficult to see. Once I swipe over, I instantly forget what I just saw. 

3. Brain Dumping

Have you heard of brain dumping? A technique to help you declutter your mind, and you dump everything out of your brain onto paper and then organize it. 

You can learn how to brain dump for balance zeroing in on the important things.

You only need a notebook, pens, and a few minutes of peace.

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This tip helps you survive survival mode because your poor brain is so overwhelmed, and brain dumping organizes those thoughts and can reduce mental stress. 

4. Timers & Alarms

If your brain is overwhelmed, you definitely want to use timers and alarms. 

I use timers and alarms for:

• Time-blocking my work
• 10-minute house cleaning
• Reminders for live events and masterminds
• Appointments
• Bills that are due 
• Or even to remind me to take a break from working 

You can also find apps to help you focus on the task at hand if you find yourself distracted. 

5. Plan Ahead

Making decisions all day, every day, is exhausting when you aren’t living in survival mode.

It even has a name, “Decision fatigue,” and when your brain is in survival mode, the amount of mental energy you have for making decisions runs out even faster. 

You need simple ways to beat decision fatigue even more. 

When you are in survival mode, you want to remove as many low-stake decisions as possible. 

A few things you can plan ahead are:

• Meal planning or using a subscription food box such as Hello Fresh. 
• One day a week, pick out your clothes for the entire week and set them aside or create a capsule wardrobe.
• Use a done-for-you chore system and assign chores such as Motivated moms or a cleaning planner.
• Use an online homeschool program or write out the homeschool plan for the week
• Decide when you will fit in 5 minutes of survival mode self-care each day

If you find all those suggestions overwhelming, pick one that will reduce your stress the most. 

6. Comfort Box

Okay, I didn’t have this for survival mode, but I wish I had. 

Living in survival mode is exhausting. You’ll want to reach for your favorite comfort items when you get a few minutes of downtime. 

If you need to hunt for them, well, it’s not going to happen. Take a few minutes to create a comfort box or basket that helps you feel human again. 

Grab a basket and add to it your favorite self-care items.

A few ideas are:

• scented candle
• book you love (e-books count!)
• instant coffee in your favorite flavor or tea
• Epsom salts for a bath if that’s your thing
• soft, cozy blanket
• a chocolate bar

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Make sure you have your cozy items on hand, so even if you only have a few minutes to spare, you can take advantage of those few minutes to recharge. 

7. Give Yourself Grace

I saved the hardest for last, giving ourselves grace. 

Survival mode is no joke, it’s hard and exhausting, and you’ll find yourself doing and saying things that just aren’t normally you. 

You might lose your temper with your kids, snapping because they interrupted your work again. 

You’ll miss meetings and deadlines. Your work might not be up to your normal standard. 

I want you to realize that what you are going through is HARD. What advice would you give a friend? How much grace would you extend to them? 

Now offer yourself that same grace. Survival mode won’t last forever. Right now, you are trying to survive. 

You Can Survive Survival Mode

Now that you have the best tips for surviving survival mode, I hope these ideas will make surviving day-to-day a bit easier.

If you are ready for the next step, you’ll enjoy these resources:

• How to stop living in survival mode
• Let’s hear it for survival mode moms
• How to get out of survival mode
• 5 Questions to ask when feeling overwhelmed
• How to avoid burnout as a working homeschool mom

What are your best tips for surviving survival mode?

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