A professional article about fear, survival mode, and why we sometimes make ourselves sick
Yes, I know — this topic could easily fill a whole book. Still, I can't skip it here, so let's take a quick look at it. Do you already have a quick answer to the question “What are you actually afraid of?” Or are you someone who feels afraid of almost everything anyway? I understand — our world does seem to get more frightening by the day. If you don't believe me, just read the news: disasters, conflicts, wars, warnings, pandemics, shocks, trauma, chaos, lockdowns, bans, infernos, crashes, tax evasion, fraud, lies, murder, blackmail, and manslaughter — and that was just the front page of one online magazine, on a single day. No wonder we should really be asking who isn't afraid. All of this is frightening — except maybe tax evasion. There, only the person committing the fraud needs to worry, about getting caught.
Survival Mode: When the Body Sounds the Alarm
As entertaining as that list sounds, there's a serious pattern behind it. Many of our fears are irrational — they're about things that will never actually happen. That's a real waste of energy, and it costs us our good mood too. Every time we feel afraid, our body switches into what's called survival mode: heart rate, breathing, and muscle tension all increase, and our full attention locks onto the perceived threat.
Survival mode is an inborn response, built into our nervous system, that lets us react instantly when danger is near. Thank goodness for instinct! In the past, it genuinely saved us from real dangers, such as wild animals — it was pure self-preservation. Once the danger had passed, the body switched back to normal on its own: heart rate, breathing, and muscles relaxed again. A pretty remarkable system, when you think about it.
What We Can Learn From Animals: Neurogenic Tremor
Animals work in almost exactly the same way — except for one technique we humans have largely lost, or been trained out of: they allow themselves to shake off the tension once the danger has passed. Yes, I'm talking about the fear-shake, known in professional terms as neurogenic tremor. Every mammal has this ability, and its purpose is to release the tension built up in the nervous system after a stressful event. There are even courses that train this skill deliberately — well worth looking into. Simply shake the fear away. Pretty cool, isn't it?
The Saber-Toothed Tiger Is Long Extinct
Here's the catch: most of these real dangers no longer exist for us — at least not in Central Europe. When was the last time you saw a saber-toothed tiger, a mammoth, or a dinosaur, other than in a movie? And if you ever do find yourself face to face with a tiger, a mountain lion, or anything similar, calling out “here kitty, kitty” won't really get you anywhere. Well, for the tiger or the mountain lion it probably would — it would just speed things along.
Irrational Fears in Everyday Life
Back to irrational fears, which trigger the very same survival mode the saber-toothed tiger once did. Today we're afraid of things that pose no real threat to our lives at all: deadlines, missed appointments, not being good enough, having too few friends on social media, too few likes, a bad hair day, the fear of missing out (FOMO), and much more. But I can promise you this: your boss, your job, your clients, or your social media friends will not kill you. At least, I hope not. That promise doesn't extend to hitmen, psychopaths, mafia bosses, or other cartel leaders — for that particular audience, I'll write a different book. Pre-orders always welcome by email at info@sn-coaching.com. info@sn-coaching.com.
When Fear Makes Us Sick
With our other, irrational fears, though, we end up in a near-constant state of stress — and over time, that's simply not healthy. Our bodies don't have unlimited energy around the clock. The result: chronic stress, exhaustion, and mental health problems. And all of that can show up beautifully as physical illness.
Take high blood pressure as a real-world example. If the body has to keep pumping blood through the vessels at high pressure, 24/7 — much like a garden hose left on full blast all the time — the system eventually gives out. In the body, we call that a stroke. In the garden hose: burst, broken.
Illness as a Message
For virtually every illness and ache in the body, there is a logical explanation — and often a psychological cause as well. Most of them are connected to fear, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise. That doesn't mean you're to blame for your own illness, at least not necessarily. But it is worth looking at things from this angle and getting to the root of the cause — only once you're truly, genuinely ready to, and tired of blaming others for it.
And one more thing: nobody dies suddenly from a heart attack or a stroke. There are always small warning signs beforehand. We've simply lost the habit of listening to our bodies. That's exactly what I'm here for — as an interpreter between you and your body.
Conclusion
Fear is part of life — it's what kept us alive for thousands of years. It only becomes a problem when survival mode stays switched on, even though there is no real danger left. So the first step is refreshingly simple, yet effective: notice your own fears, and honestly ask yourself whether they come from a real threat or an irrational one. Practicing this regularly gives your nervous system a real chance to move out of alarm mode and back into everyday life — and that's the best protection against chronic stress and its effects on your health.
I help people reconnect with their body's language, and manage fear and stress in a healthy way. Contact: info@sn-coaching.com info@sn-coaching.com
This post is inspired by a chapter from my book “Just Me! …Not Normal!”—the first volume of the ON TARGET book series.
What Are You Afraid Of? When You Get Stuck in Survival Mode
