"Survival strategy" refers to a plan or approach used by individuals, groups, or species to overcome challenges or obstacles in order to stay alive or thrive in difficult circumstances.
I have developed this list of survival strategies for people who are experiencing divorce. (eddinscounseling.com)
Many common parenting techniques are simply short term survival strategies of desperate parents trying to cope with the here and now. (positive-parenting-ally.com)
The reason that your body wants to see you train your abs in this order is because it is the best survival strategy. (truthaboutabs.com)