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🩌 Running from Problems? Hello Inner Gazelle! 🩌

Hey there, Escape Artists (and Fellow Fleeing Fanatics)!

 

Ever feel like life is one big danger zone, and you’re the gazelle just trying to make it to the other side without tripping over a rock or getting eaten by a lion? Well, you’re not alone!

 

Let’s dive into your inner gazelle—the ultimate escape artist with a PhD in the art of getting the heck outta here.

 

Meet Your Inner Gazelle: The Flight Mode Extraordinaire

 

Imagine your inner gazelle as a super-speedy escape artist, always looking for the next exit sign. When life gets tough, this gazelle doesn’t hang around to solve problems; it’s darting off to stay alive! 

 

“Oh, you want to talk about your feelings? I’d rather binge-watch a series on Netflix and ignore that!” 

 

Classic gazelle move.

 

Ambivalence: The Gazelle’s Favorite Game


Ever found yourself stuck in the middle of a decision, unsure whether to stay or bolt? Welcome to the indecision club! Our inner gazelle would rather just gracefully prance away from making a choice at all. After all, why face the music when you can dance around it?

 

Avoidance: The Gazelle’s Go-To Strategy

 

Avoidance is the name of the game for our gazelle. Got a problem? Pretend it’s not there. Mentally run away from it! The dishes are piling up? Maybe I’ll wash them
 later. Or perhaps they’ll magically wash themselves. Feeling overwhelmed? Time for a deep dive into social media—because nothing says “escape” like scrolling through the highlight reels of other people’s lives!

 

Addictive Behaviors: The Gazelle’s Distraction Toolkit


The gazelle has some nifty tricks up its sleeve to escape life’s challenges. 

Enter: addictive behaviors. Whether it’s eating, drinking, smoking, or getting lost in the endless rabbit holes of social media, these behavioral compulsions are the gazelle’s way of saying, “I’d rather be anywhere but here right now!”

 

Wanting to Die: The Extreme Escape Route


Sometimes, the desire to escape gets so intense that it feels like the only option is to vanish entirely. It’s like the gazelle deciding that the only way to avoid a predator is to disappear off the face of the earth. 

 

If you’ve ever felt this way, please know you’re not alone—and there are people who want to help you find a safer path.

 

Channeling Your Inner Gazelle


So, how do we work with our inner gazelle without letting it run our lives? 

 

Start by recognizing the Gazelle has showed up. Name the flight mode to tame the flight mode urge. 

 

When you can notice there is an internal Gazelle part who is here, that a part of you (or maybe it feels like all of you) is in flight mode, gently guide yourself back to a more grounded place.


It’s okay to take a break, take a breath, notice your exits and feet on the floor.

 

If your inner gazelle is causing more stress than relief, reach out to me. Having help from a therapist to face the problems head-on can be way more satisfying (and less exhausting) than a perpetual sprint.

 

So, next time you feel the urge to bolt, take a deep breath, notice this part is trying to help you survive, stretch those legs, and remember—you’ve got the strength to face whatever comes your way. 

 

In the meantime, take a look at this free handout below (the inspiration behind today’s email) to help you understand why your mind and body sometimes react like they’re starring in their own nature documentary.

 

Best,

Hannah Kanter, LICSW

Healing with Hannah


 

FREE HANDOUT on Automatic Survival Defenses





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