Scarcity Mindset: Why Fixing Your Thinking May Not Be Working…

The term scarcity mindset is often used in self-help, life coaching, and spiritual spaces to explain why people feel stuck around money, relationships, or stability. It’s commonly framed as a thinking problem, something that can be fixed by changing beliefs. But this explanation often overlooks the role of the body, nervous system, trauma, and survival responses. This article explores scarcity mindset through a trauma-informed, nervous-system lens.

What is a Scarcity Mindset?

The term ‘scarcity mindset’ gets used a lot by life coaches or in spiritual communities.
It’s often used to frame someone’s struggles including a lack of income, career attainment, friendships, connections as scarcity.

It sounds simple on the surface. If I have a scarcity mindset, I can just fix the mindset and I will be okay.

Why?
It sounds simple on the surface. I have a scarcity mindset, so if I just fix the mindset I will be okay and get the life I want.

Why “Fixing Your Mindset” Often Doesn’t Work.

But the problem with this is it completely alienates the role of your body, nervous system, years of intergenerational trauma running the show – and systems around you that have contributed to these current experiences, thinking patterns, and feelings.
And I truly believe all the prats of you deserve understanding and care.

It’s not wrong to want to support your emotions here or wanting to create change for yourself but there is another way to do this that honours these experiences without shaming you and just using your mind/thinking to work through it.

Scarcity Mindset Vs Survival Mode

This is why I prefer to see this through the eyes of ‘survival’.

When we are in survival – the very things we need are scarce – and our bodies, nervous systems and minds pick up on this. Whether it’s housing, money, clothing – or access to genuine love and care from the adults around us (which is an essential need) – if this was not always available, consistent or predictable – our bodies will automatically put us into survival mode – fight/flight/freeze.

You Can’t Outthink Survival

You can’t outthink your survival skills.

But, once the threat is actually gone, we can understand why they are there – and find ways to stabilise them and soften.

So if you're someone who has struggled to think your way out of life’s hardships (scarcity), you’re not alone.
It’s not your fault.

Perhaps you genuinely have great survival instincts- that need to be understood and honoured

What I can do to help

If your noticing themes of connecting to concepts like scarcity mindset because of emotions showing up in your world or chronic stress - survival patterns may be showing up in your life. We can work through this gently - without rushing or bypassing what your body is trying to clue you into.

Counselling is not about forcing positivity or pushing you to be ‘better’ - you are already doing a great job surviving life.
It’s about creating enough safety and support so your system can no longer stay on high alert.

You are welcome to get in touch for an initial session. I would love to hear from you.