Survival mode refers to a state in which someone focuses solely on staying alive or coping with a difficult situation. It usually involves prioritizing basic needs like food, shelter, and safety over everything else. Full definition
Our family was in survival mode in our little incubator of love for the first year of the «twins» lives. (birthwithoutfearblog.com)
At that point we went into survival mode while looking for innovative ways to operate and open the legal services to the general public. (newlawjournal.co.uk)
There is also the option of survival mode where you go against waves of enemies and try to survive as long as possible. (thezombiechimp.com)