4 Signs You’re in Survival Mode —and How Therapy Helps Overwhelmed Moms Feel Like Themselves Again
Let’s be real for a second…
You’re trying to keep it all together—but it feels like you’re unraveling underneath the surface. You’re snapping at your partner, forgetting things you never used to, and crying after bedtime… but then still smiling through the school drop-off like everything’s fine. Except it’s not fine - and you’re tired of pretending it is.
If you’re overwhelmed, overstimulated, resentful—and still trying to do it all with a half-dead smile on your face—you’re not broken.
You’re burned out - and this isn’t your fault. It’s emotional overload, nervous system exhaustion, and the invisible pressure to be everything to everyone while never taking up too much space yourself.
Let’s break it down. Here are 4 signs you’re stuck in survival mode—and how therapy can actually help you feel like yourself again.
1. You keep snapping—then spiral in shame.
One minute you’re fine, the next you’re yelling over a granola bar. You feel terrible afterward, but in the moment? You were already at your edge. This isn’t you being “too sensitive.” This is your nervous system waving a red flag. From an Emotion-Focused Therapy lens, that anger is a protector—it shows up when deeper needs (like rest, support, respect) have been ignored too long. The trueth is, you’re not just mad about the mess or the socks on the floor. You’re mad that you carry everything—and no one notices until you break.
In therapy, we don’t shame your anger. We listen to it. We unpack what’s underneath and work on honoring your needs before you hit your breaking point.
2. You’re never off the clock—even when no one’s around.
You finally get five minutes alone… and your brain goes into overdrive. Did I forget something? Should I be doing something? Why can’t I just relax?
Sound familiar?
Moms are taught to constantly anticipate, manage, and prevent chaos. That emotional hypervigilance wires your nervous system to stay on—even when there’s nothing to fix. According to Craig & Brown, 2017, women carry the bulk of the invisible and emotional labor in households. But it’s not just the work—it’s the mental load that keeps you stuck in survival mode. In therapy, we help you slow down and actually feel what’s happening beneath the busyness. Using EFT and somatic awareness, I help you reconnect with your body, calm your system, and stop living in fight-or-flight mode.
3. You feel invisible… even in your own home.
You’re constantly needed, touched, and talked at. But emotionally? You feel completely alone. That ache you feel when no one asks how you’re doing? That resentment bubbling under the surface? That deep sadness you can’t quite name? It’s not in your head. Emotionally? You’re under-nurtured. EFT sees emotional neglect—not just as something that happens in childhood, but something that can show up in partnerships, motherhood, and even friendships. When your needs go consistently unmet, your self-worth starts to erode. In therapy, you get to be the one who gets seen, heard, and supported. We’ll work on getting your emotional needs met without guilt—and help you build the self-trust to speak up when something doesn’t feel okay.
4. You miss the old you—but don’t know how to get her back.
Maybe you don’t even remember who that version of you was. The one who laughed easily, had ideas and dreams, and didn’t feel like she had to earn rest. Motherhood can swallow your identity whole—and no one prepares you for the grief that comes with that.But here’s the thing: You don’t need to “go back” to who you were. You get to become someone deeper—more grounded, more boundary-ed, more whole. In therapy, I help you rediscover who you are outside of your roles. Using ACT and values-based work, we build a version of your life that feels aligned, sustainable, and true to you—not just what’s expected of you.
You don’t need to burn out to earn rest. If you’re losing it quietly and hoping things magically get better, this is your invitation to stop waiting for the breaking point.
You don’t have to collapse to deserve care.
You don’t have to be in crisis to get support.
You don’t have to stay stuck in “fine.”
Therapy isn’t just about talking—it’s about healing patterns, reclaiming your voice, and getting out of survival mode for good.
📍I work with overwhelmed, burned-out moms across California through online therapy that fits into your life—not the other way around.
Let’s get you back to feeling like yourself again.
Click here to book your 15-minute consult
You’re not too much. You’re just overdue for support.
Talk soon!!
Morgan
