From Survival Mode to Stillness: What the Mountains Taught Me

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC

Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy

Inc.

Posted: May 14, 2026

A Birthday in the Mountains

I’m writing this from the beautiful province of Alberta, where yesterday, May 13, I celebrated

my 41st birthday.

We spent the day in Banff—taking in the mountains, standing in awe at Lake Louise, and simply being out in nature. This has been a bucket list trip of mine for a long time. I wanted to visit Calgary, see family, but most of all… I wanted to see those mountains and those lakes.

And they did not disappoint.

There’s something about standing in a place like that—breathing in the air, looking up at

something so vast and grounding—that shifts something inside of you. It slows you down in a

way that feels almost involuntary.

You don’t have to try to be present.

You just are.

When Life Feels Like Survival

But the truth is, most of our lives don’t feel like Banff.

Most of the time, people are moving through their days in what we call survival mode.

Survival mode is the body’s natural response to stress. It’s how we function when life feels

overwhelming, unpredictable, or out of control. It’s not a flaw—it’s a protective system

designed to keep us going.

But when we stay in that state too long, it starts to take a toll.

What Survival Mode Can Look Like

Survival mode doesn’t look the same for everyone. It can show up in different ways depending on the person and their nervous system.

For some, it looks like fight mode:

• Irritability or anger

• Feeling easily triggered

• A constant sense of urgency

• Trying to control everything and everyone

For others, it shows up as flight mode:

• Overworking or staying constantly busy

• Avoiding stillness

• Anxiety or racing thoughts

• Difficulty relaxing

And for many, it becomes freeze mode:

• Feeling stuck or unmotivated

• Emotional numbness

• Difficulty making decisions

• Shutting down or withdrawing

All of these responses are ways the body tries to cope when it feels overwhelmed.

The Need for Control

One of the most common patterns I see in both my work and my own life is the need for control when things feel out of control.

When life becomes uncertain—whether it’s stress at work, family challenges, health concerns, or emotional overwhelm—we often try to regain stability by controlling what we can.

This might look like:

• Over-planning or overthinking

• Perfectionism

• Trying to manage others’ behaviours

• Holding tightly to routines or expectations

Control can feel like safety.

But sometimes, the more we try to control, the more dysregulated we become—because deep down, we know we can’t control everything.

What the Mountains Reminded Me

Standing in Banff, looking out at the mountains and Lake Louise, I felt something shift.

There was nothing to control.

The mountains didn’t need me to fix them. The lake didn’t need me to manage it. The air didn’t need me to analyze it.

Everything simply existed—and it was enough.

In that moment, my nervous system softened. The urgency quieted. The need to control eased.

Nature has a way of reminding us that we don’t always have to be in survival mode. That there

is another state available to us—one of presence, regulation, and trust.

Moving Out of Survival Mode

We can’t eliminate stress from our lives. But we can learn to move in and out of survival mode

rather than staying stuck in it.

Some ways to support this include:

• Spending time in nature, even in small ways

• Practicing slow, intentional breathing

• Allowing moments of stillness without filling the space

• Noticing when control is coming from fear rather than necessity

• Creating small pockets of safety in your day

You don’t need the mountains to access this shift—but they are a powerful reminder of what’s possible.

A Personal Reflection

This trip wasn’t just about checking something off my bucket list. It was about

reconnecting—with nature, with presence, and with myself.

As someone who carries a lot—personally, professionally, and emotionally—I know what it feels like to live in survival mode. I also know how easy it is to stay there without even realizing it.

But moments like this remind me that we are allowed to step out of that space.

Even briefly.

Even imperfectly.

Final Thoughts

Life will always have stress. There will always be moments that feel out of control. That’s part

of being human.

But we are not meant to live in a constant state of survival.

Sometimes, all it takes is a moment—a breath, a pause, a shift in environment—to remind

ourselves that we are safe enough to soften.

Sign-Off

With reflection, grounding, and gratitude for the moments that bring us back to ourselves,

Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC

Registered Counselling Therapist

Founder & Clinical Director

Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc.

A Reflection for You

Where in your life might you be trying to control what actually needs to be softened—and what would it feel like to let go, even just a little?