Is Living in Survival Mode Killing Your Business?
- Laura Lang
- Sep 3
- 3 min read
For many of us with ADHD, survival mode feels like our default setting. Fight-or-flight becomes the lens we see life—and business—through.
Think back: Did you ever crank out a term paper at the very last minute and convince yourself you “do your best work under pressure”? Urgency can feel like the ultimate motivator for an ADHD brain. If something must be done right now, we’ll find a way. But if it can wait? We feel guilty spending time on it and instead go looking for the next fire to put out.
The truth is, not everything is a fire.
The Illusion of Urgency
When my kids were little and I was building a business in my “spare” time, I lived in a constant state of putting out fires. Or at least, that’s what I told myself.
Those “fires” weren’t life-or-death emergencies. They were things like unanswered emails, errands I avoided because I feared being late for a client, or even the daily question of what to cook for dinner. Yet I treated each one like a crisis. And because I constantly felt behind, I obsessed and stressed instead of moving forward.
The result? I was in survival mode all the time. And survival mode left no room to truly show up for my family, friends, or clients.
The Hidden Cost of Survival Mode
Working hard isn’t the problem. In fact, it’s one of the most important ingredients for success. But when that hard work comes from a place of panic and constant self-pressure, you burn energy on the wrong things.
You miss opportunities—opportunities to be creative, to grow, to build deeper relationships, and to seize the big-picture moments that actually move your business forward.
For me, working hard had become tangled up with proving my worth. I felt “different” because of my ADHD and told myself that meant “not good enough.” So I worked harder and harder, but in a way that left me exhausted, distracted, and disconnected.
Breaking Free From the Cycle
So here’s the real question: Is it possible to work hard, make an impact, and still have a life outside your business?
I believe it is. I’ve seen it in my own life.
Fast forward a few years, I have learned to lean into the feeling of “hurry up” that leads to dysregulation (survival mode), and question where it is coming from. Is it true that I really need to hurry in this moment. Most of the time it is not. I just need to keep taking steps, not run toward an imaginary fire.
Today, I am getting so much more accomplished, without the stress and self-doubt.
When you calm your nervous system and step out of survival mode, something powerful happens. Your higher brain functions—the ones that drive creativity, strategy, and vision—kick back in. You rediscover the excitement and energy you felt when you first started your business.
Shifting out of survival mode isn’t as simple as turning off distractions, but it is possible. It takes practice, mindset work, and support. That’s where coaching can make a real difference—helping you build the tools to manage stress, reset your nervous system, and find clarity.
Ready to Step Out of Survival Mode?
If you’re tired of spinning in stress and overwhelm, I’d love to help. Book a free call and I’ll teach you a few simple, calming exercises you can use in your workday to quiet fight-or-flight and step back into focus, creativity, and growth.
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