Life in survival mode: What Minecraft taught me (a non-gamer) about trauma

Now, I need to admit I am not a gamer, and I deeply apologise to any gamers if I get some of the details wrong here. But I recently learned that Minecraft has the options of “survival mode” and “explore mode”.

In survival mode, players must manage resources, defend themselves and engage in combat, fight off hunger and dehydration, and find ways to build shelters and craft useful tools.

In explore mode, there is a focus on discovery and freedom. Players engage in puzzles, get to use their creativity, and build extra structures, not just shelters, but those that help advance the city.

Reading some online forums, I learned that some players preferred survival mode as it was more exciting, more dynamic, and allowed you to “blow up blocks and structures”.

Now, I couldn’t think of a better analogy than what Minecraft gives us here.

Life in survival mode

For many of us, we have had times when we are living life in survival mode. Our attention and focus become solely centred around what we need to survive in the day-to-day. We might be working long hours to keep the roof over our head, we might be living under the threat of harm, living in dangerous situations, or experiencing toxic levels of stress. We might need to manage our hunger, defend ourselves, and craft tools (internal and external) to aid in our survival. When we are living life in survival mode, we might feel like it’s moment-to-moment, day-to-day. Just getting by.

The freedom of explore mode

In contrast, when we have the opportunity to live in explore mode, we find ourselves with more freedom and choice. We might still work long hours, but to shorten them wouldn’t mean we lose the roof over our heads. We can engage in creative pursuits and use our imagination. We can rest, recharge, and play. We can look beyond the moment-to-moment and the day-to-day, making plans for the future.

Systems in survival mode

I’ve experienced both survival mode and explore mode.

I’ve worked alongside young people in survival mode.

I’ve also worked in organisations and schools that have been operating in survival mode, too.

When our workplaces get overwhelmed, we might find ourselves working in reactive ways. Our energy is placed in “putting out spotfires” and the decisions we’re making are to manage the day, not to proactively build something better. We forget our strategic plans, we lose the creativity, and the play, and we’re all working just to get by. To manage the crisis of today.

When our society is overwhelmed, we find the collective functioning in reactive ways, too. The cost of living, housing insecurity, pandemics, and global conflicts all impact the way we individually and collectively show up. Our internal systems and external systems start pumping an all-too-familiar stress.

Beyond survival mode

We could see survival mode as a gift. We wouldn’t get through times of overwhelm, stress, and trauma without it. But we don’t want to be stuck there.

Life is not Minecraft.

We don’t want our friends, our neighbours, our young people, our schools, and our systems constantly in a state of crisis.

We don’t want this for the greater collective.

We want to find ways to lighten the load, to create the safety needed to enter explore mode, even if it can just be for a while.

Trauma-informed practice is about designing our environments and building our relationships so that people don’t have to be in survival mode all the time.

We’re here to help

When workplaces are truly trauma-informed, we see good outcomes for their entire communities. We’re here to help you move beyond survival mode.

Creating a trauma-informed workplace where staff feel safe, supported, and competent requires a multi-faceted approach, a new perspective and way of being with each other. It’s not just a bunch of catchy words.

We work alongside leaders, teachers, social workers, and a variety of practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing.

If you are curious about what this could look like in your setting, schedule a free consult call with Megan.

If you are a practitioner (teacher, social worker, caregiver, support worker or generally just curious) who feels ready to take care of yourself and positively influence your colleagues, we have created an eBook on trauma-informed wellbeing. This ebook is designed to help you navigate the complexities of working in trauma-affected environments, equipping you with practical strategies to enhance your wellbeing and effectiveness. Grab your guide today.