From Survival Mode to Safe Spaces: Breaking Generational Trauma One Step at a Time

For most of my life, I’ve lived in survival mode.

As a little girl, I was molested by a family friend, someone who took advantage of my family’s kindness and my innocence. That moment became a turning point, the beginning of me building emotional walls and learning to always stay on guard. I didn’t feel protected then, so I grew up believing I had to protect myself at all costs.

That belief turned into a constant inner battle. I carried that war with me into adulthood, into motherhood. I wasn’t just parenting my kids, I was still trying to protect that 8 or 9 year old girl inside me who never felt safe.

Imagine becoming a mother while still living in fight mode. Always prepared for the worst. Always bracing for betrayal or harm. That level of tension doesn’t just live in your body, it spills over. And it did. Battlefield Mama unintentionally created battlefield babies.

It wasn’t fair to them. They didn’t ask for the trauma I never got to heal from.

But a couple of years ago, I finally surrendered. I waved my white flag. I decided I was done with surviving and ready to start living.

And here’s the beautiful part: as I stepped out of survival mode, my children followed. The peace I gave myself began to show up in them too. Healing really does ripple outward.

If you’ve been living in survival mode, know this, you deserve more than just to survive. You deserve peace, joy, and the space to breathe deeply. Start small. Start today. And if you’re ready to explore your healing journey, subscribe to the blog or connect with me on Instagram. You’re not alone in this.