Are You Surviving or Living?

My MindMy SpiritMy Body
Written By Joy Stephenson-Laws, JD, Founder

By Joy Stephenson-Laws, Holistic Coach, J.D., Founder

The Story of Two Mornings

Every morning, Sarah woke up with a racing heart. Before her feet hit the ground, her mind was already swarming with to-do lists, worries about her job, guilt over not spending enough time with her kids, and a dull ache in her chest that she often ignored. She chugged coffee, rushed out the door, and powered through the day—only to return home completely drained. She wasn't depressed, exactly. But she wasn’t happy either. She was surviving.

Then there was Lena. She also had a demanding job and a family, but her mornings looked different. She got up 30 minutes earlier to sit in silence and drink tea. Some mornings she journaled. Some mornings she simply breathed. She still faced challenges, but she met them with a sense of presence and groundedness. Her days had difficulty, but they also had joy. She was living.

This is the difference between surviving and living.


Surviving: The Toll of Chronic Stress

Survival mode is a state where the body and mind are locked in a stress response. It’s like being chased by a lion that never leaves. While short-term stress responses are helpful for immediate danger, chronic activation wreaks havoc on your health.

According to Harvard Health, prolonged stress raises cortisol levels and contributes to hypertension, heart disease, and even strokes (Harvard Health Publishing).

Chronic stress can suppress immune function by decreasing immune cell numbers and function and by increasing active immunosuppressive mechanisms, such as regulatory T cells (Segerstrom & Miller, 2004, Psychol Bull). In the digestive system, stress alters gut-brain signaling and is associated with conditions like IBS and ulcers (Harvard Health).

Psychologically, survival mode often leads to anxiety, depression, and even cognitive impairments. The Mayo Clinic notes that people experiencing chronic stress may have trouble concentrating, making decisions, or even remembering basic things (Mayo Clinic).


Living: Engaging with Presence and Purpose

Living, on the other hand, is about being awake to your own life. It means engaging with your emotions, your relationships, your challenges, and your joys with intention and awareness.

Mindfulness and purposeful living have been associated with improved mental and physical health, including reduced inflammation, better emotional regulation, and enhanced immune response (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health). Harvard Health confirms that practices like gratitude and joy promote cardiovascular resilience and improve overall well-being.

When you're living, your body is more often in a "rest and repair" state. You sleep better. You digest food more effectively. You connect more deeply with others.

Real-Life Examples: Surviving vs. Living

Alex the Executive
Alex was a high-powered executive who lived in survival mode for years. He was always "on," always reachable, and always anxious. He developed high blood pressure and was on the verge of burnout. After attending a stress reduction workshop, he began meditating for 10 minutes a day and setting boundaries with his phone. It wasn’t a magic fix, but over time, his blood pressure improved, he slept better, and—most importantly—he started enjoying his life again.

Julia the Attorney
Julia was a successful attorney at a prestigious law firm. Her days were packed with client meetings, court deadlines, and endless emails. She prided herself on her productivity, but inside, she felt emotionally flat and physically exhausted. She ignored her body’s warning signs until she collapsed from sheer exhaustion one weekend. That health scare was her wake-up call. Julia took a sabbatical, began seeing a therapist, and incorporated yoga and reflective journaling into her daily routine. Today, she’s still practicing law—but on her terms. She’s more selective with her cases, sets clear boundaries, and feels more alive than she has in years.

Maria the Caregiver
Maria was a full-time caregiver for her aging parents. She often skipped meals, never exercised, and barely slept. She felt guilty when she took time for herself. Eventually, the stress led to physical exhaustion and depression. With the help of a therapist and a caregiver support group, she began scheduling time for walks, reading, and rest. The change didn’t just improve her health—it helped her reconnect with joy.

How to Move from Surviving to Living

Recognize the Signs
If you’re always tired, irritable, disconnected, or feel like life is just passing you by—you might be stuck in survival mode. Awareness is the first step.

Seek Support
Therapists, coaches, support groups, and trusted friends can offer a lifeline out of survival. You don't have to do it alone.

At pH Labs, this is exactly what we’re here for. We provide holistic coaches, therapists, and mental health experts to help guide you out of survival mode and into a thriving, conscious way of living. Our team supports your transformation with one-on-one guidance, emotional wellness strategies, and integrative tools for whole-person healing.

You can also visit the Learning Lab at pH Labs to access hundreds of evidence-based articles and resources that empower you to move from surviving to truly living. Whether you're looking for help with stress, nutrition, mindset, or self-care practices, our educational library is here to support your journey.

Incorporate Mindfulness
Start with 5 minutes a day. Sit. Breathe. Observe your thoughts. Mindfulness changes your brain, reduces stress, and expands your inner capacity to respond instead of react.

Create Healthy Routines
Sleep, nutrition, and movement aren’t luxuries—they’re survival tools that support a living, thriving nervous system. At pH Labs, we emphasize proactive healthcare that includes early testing, nutritional guidance, personalized coaching, and evidence-based therapies to restore your vitality from the inside out.

Prioritize Joy and Rest
Schedule things that make you feel alive: nature, music, art, community, silence. Living isn't a reward for suffering—it's your natural state. We can help you rediscover that spark through our array of wellness services, light therapies, coaching, and customized self-care plans.

Conclusion: You Were Meant to Live

Surviving is a natural response to hard times—but you weren’t meant to live there. Life is more than stress management and responsibility. It's joy, meaning, connection, and breath. You have the right to live with presence, not just endure.

The phrase on our landing page  "You are created to flourish" emphasizes that humans are inherently designed not merely to survive, but to thrive—physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and spiritually. Flourishing means realizing and expressing one's fullest potential, experiencing a meaningful and joyful life, and contributing positively to the world.

"You didn’t come here just to survive. You came here to live." 

You are created to flourish!

So the question is: Which morning are you waking up to?

And what would it take to begin living today?

References

Joy Stephenson-Laws, JD, Founder
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