Why Apathy—Not Anxiety—Is Keeping You Stuck in Survival Mode

The 30-Second Moment That Changed Everything

In the middle of creating content, I felt a strong urge to sing along to the song playing in the background (yes, I love working with music).

Any other day, I would’ve pushed that feeling away. Kept working. Stayed “productive.”

But not that day.

I stopped. And sang my heart out.

When I went back to work—energized, motivated, more creative than before—I realized something profound:

My body had been trying to tell me what I needed. And for once, I actually listened.

We’ve Become Prisoners of Our Own Productivity

I learned something crucial throughout my self-development journey: We’ve become so dependent on systems, methods, and processes that we’ve lost focus on what truly matters.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not dissing strategies (hey, I have my own). But I am calling out the imprisonment that keeps us from enjoying every single minute of the process.

Here’s the truth: Our bodies are brilliantly wise. Yet we reject their wisdom in exchange for external information.

No wonder we’re stuck in a trust crisis, chasing safety in an endless cycle. Because here’s what I know:

If you’re not safe in your body, how can you feel safe in the world?

And if you’ve convinced yourself the world is unsafe, it’s because your inner state has become the lens through which you see everything outside yourself.

I know this firsthand. I was the queen of living in survival state—even while doing yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises.

The Hidden Emotion That Blocks Everything Else: Apathy

There was one emotion blocking me from expanding my self-awareness enough to heal: Apathy.

Ask yourself if any of this sounds familiar:

In Your Relationships:

• You secretly wonder why others don’t put in the same effort you do
• During conversations, you analyze every word to judge the person
• In arguments with your partner, you’re certain they’re wrong (even if you don’t say it)
• You feel emotionally “above” the drama around you

In Your Daily Life:

• You go through your day feeling you’ve “done the work”
• You pride yourself on not being emotionally reactive
• You believe you’re an example for others to follow
• You feel confident but somehow… empty

In Your Body:

• You can’t remember the last time you felt genuine excitement
• Joy feels like something you have to schedule or achieve
• You’re disconnected from physical sensations unless they’re painful
• Rest feels impossible even when you’re exhausted

Sister, I’ve been here.

All of this? It’s apathy. The biggest gatekeeper from deeper awareness where your unresolved emotions live.

Because let me share something: These thoughts stem from survival. They exist to soothe wounds that patiently remain there—sometimes quiet, sometimes triggered. Those superior thoughts? They’re your brain’s protective mechanism, delivering exactly what you need to feel better without actually healing.

Your Body Holds the Answers Your Mind Can’t Access

All this awareness is waiting for you through your body, not your rational mind.

Even though I began by sharing a simple example—pausing for one minute to sing—this came after years of work. Before, stopping would’ve been out of the question. My body was subconsciously drowning in cortisol and adrenaline, slowly but surely stealing piece by piece of my wellbeing.

The cost of not listening:

• Chronic exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix
• Success that feels empty
• Relationships that feel like performance
• A life that looks perfect but feels numb

The 5-Minute Exercise That Changes Everything

Where can we start? First, by knowing the difference between being in your mind versus your body.

Sounds simple, yet many women I’ve worked with struggle to shift their focus from one to the other. Apathy has become so powerful, it’s survival brain’s favorite tool—masking behind rationality and analysis.

Try This Now (Yes, You Have 5 Minutes):

1. Sit down and take a deep breath Place your attention on your lungs as you breathe. Notice how they expand and contract. Keep breathing and noticing.
   
2. Think of a pleasant childhood memory Don’t overthink. Go with the first one that comes. Stay there for a few seconds. Notice who was with you, the sounds, what you were wearing.
   
3. Now shift your focus to your toes Move them up and down. Are you wearing socks? Are they touching the floor? Are you wearing shoes?
   

Did you notice what happened?

To notice your toes, you had to stop thinking about your childhood memory.

When you were in the memory, you were in your mind. When you noticed your toes, your attention was in your body.

The key here is ATTENTION. You are the navigator choosing its direction.

What This Simple Practice Reveals

Integrating this practice regularly doesn’t just increase awareness of when you’re in your head versus your body. It presents an opportunity to connect with yourself at a deeper level.

Why does this matter? Because it gives you a powerful tool: Choice.

You get to choose what to do with the data you collect about yourself:

• Change an unwanted pattern
• Integrate more kindness and compassion
• Let go of what no longer serves you
• Actually feel your life instead of thinking through it

For me, this awareness plus the power of choice allowed me to stop and sing. To celebrate. And most importantly, to receive joy—not only when I achieve something, but at any moment of my day, week, life.

The Body Wisdom You’ve Been Ignoring

Your body is constantly communicating:

• That tension in your shoulders? It’s telling you about the weight you’re carrying
• That knot in your stomach? It knows something your mind is ignoring
• That urge to move, sing, or rest? It’s showing you the way back to yourself

But we’ve been taught to override these signals. To push through. To trust everything except ourselves.

Your Permission Slip to Feel Again

Here’s what I want you to know:

That urge to pause? Honor it. That feeling you can’t explain? Explore it. That moment of wanting to sing, dance, or just breathe? Take it.

Because every time you listen to your body, you’re rebuilding trust with yourself. You’re saying, “I matter. My feelings matter. My joy matters.”

And in a world that’s taught you to be productive over present, analytical over intuitive, controlled over free—that’s revolutionary.

Start Today: Your Body Reconnection Practice

This week, commit to:

1. One daily body check-in (use the 5-minute exercise)
2. Honor one body urge (stretch, sing, rest, move)
3. Notice without fixing (just observe what your body tells you)

Remember: You can’t think your way into feeling. You have to feel your way back to living.

That simple moment of singing while working wasn’t just a break. It was my body showing me the way back to myself.

Yours is trying to show you too.

Are you ready to listen?

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Going Deeper Into Body Wisdom

Join the conversation in our Facebook community: What is your body trying to tell you today? Share your insights and connect with other women on this journey: Join the Insightful Essence Community

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Roselyn Perez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who spent years living in survival mode while checking all the “wellness” boxes. Now she helps high-achieving women reconnect with their body’s wisdom to find the joy and presence their success was supposed to bring. Because true wealth includes feeling alive in your own skin.