About survival mode
What does survival mode mean?
In my work, survival mode means your nervous system is reacting to the past, not to what's happening now. At some point your body learned to stay on alert to get through, and it never got the message that it's safe to stop. So it keeps going: bracing, pushing, scanning for the next thing.
What are the warning signs that you're in survival mode?
Everyone's version is different. The ones I see most: stress that has moved into your body, as pain, a stomach that won't settle, sleep that doesn't rest you, exhaustion that a weekend doesn't fix. Feeling that you're never doing enough. Understanding all of it in your head while your body carries on as before.
How do you come out of survival mode?
By teaching your nervous system that it's safe. In my work that starts with admitting the truth of how you feel, without polishing it. Your nervous system reads that honesty as safety, and your body can start to let go. Then repetition does the rest: new responses, practised until they hold.
What comes after survival mode?
The people I work with describe it in the same words, even though they've never met: light, calm, free, at peace, able to "just be". You see the same situation and it no longer sets you off.
About working with me
Can you heal your nervous system?
I don't promise to fix or cure anything. What I do is teach you how to help your nervous system feel safe, and how to come back to that on your own when life sets it off again. I can show you the shift; then I teach you to find it on your own.
How long does burnout recovery take?
It's different for everyone, and I don't promise recovery or put a timeline on your health. What the work aims for is this: you'll feel the change in your first session, and over 12 weeks you become someone new, in how you see things and how you respond to them.
Is this somatic coaching?
I don't call it that. My lens is Chinese medicine, where mind, body and spirit are one system, so we work with what your body is doing as well as what you think. If you've been looking for somatic or holistic support, we can talk about whether my way fits you.
Do you use Chinese herbs?
Yes, when they fit you. I start with a Chinese medicine (TCM) pattern diagnosis, which looks at how stress is showing up in your body and your life. When herbs can help, I prescribe a personalized Chinese herbal formula, made for your pattern rather than a one-size-fits-all product.
Is this therapy? Does it replace my doctor or therapist?
No. I'm not a therapist and this is not therapy. I work alongside your medical or mental-health care, never in place of it. If you're in treatment, I'll ask that your clinician knows about our work.
Do you work online?
Yes. I work online, so you can work with me wherever you are.
What happens on the free 15-minute call?
We talk about where you are and what's been running your life. I'll tell you honestly whether I can help, and if working together makes sense, I'll explain how it works. There's nothing to prepare.
How much does it cost?
We'll talk about it on the call, once we both know whether working together is right for you.
Is this a one-time session?
No. One session can show you the shift, but this isn't a one-time fix. The work is about learning to find it again on your own, so it lasts.
Still have a question?
Ask me on a free 15-minute call, or email info@lydakermani.com.