We all know that part of dealing with pain and stress is coping with it mentally. Mind over matter and positive thoughts are both very important. What you may not consider is the simple fact that mental preparedness can help you get through disasters as well as all other situations. Do you have a game plan for helping yourself and your family prepare for and conquer their fear during troubling times?
Preparing for Disasters
If you are staring down a tornado’s path and it is heading toward you; what is your first move? Will you run away in fear, hoping it doesn’t catch up with you? Will you look around for a place to hide where you may be safe? Or will you try to help as many people as possible reach safety? A lot of times, people will freeze when they are confronted with a disastrous situation. They may understand on some level that they should do what it takes to survive the situation, but once fear is gripping them; they simply cannot function. It does not matter how strong you are, how fast you can run, or where you are. If the mind is not focused on surviving, you may not be able to make it through. You have to prepare your mind. Especially with all that is going on in our world at this time.
Preparing Emotionally for the “What IF”
It is pretty easy to prepare yourself for a disaster with physical supplies. In hurricane prone areas, people put together supplies that they keep throughout the year so that if a storm enters their area; they will have the things that they need. Water bottles, first aid kids, flash lights and lanterns, non-perishable foods, etc. But how do they prepare for a category five which is coming right at them? Their answer here could make the difference between life and death, but they have days to prepare. While preparing, they may gain comfort from physical items. For example a washable, weighted blanket DIY which must have the correct weighted blanket ratio to create a sense of safety. On the other hand, a terrorist attack, mudslide, and other situations may require you to act before you think. It is during these times we take the biggest chance on losing our life due to fear.
Tips and Tricks on Preparing Mentally
The best thing you can do to prepare for the catastrophic events is to practice, a lot. By knowing exactly what you will do in a bad situation will eliminate the “panic”. You will simply be doing what you have already practiced doing. This will enable you to stay calm and perhaps calm others. You can also encourage your mind to do things more freely by stepping out of your “normal” routines sometimes. Do things that you have a fear of doing or learn something new. It will ensure your mind is ready for anything. Staying positive and helping others are also ideal for helping you stay focused on survival. Survival starts with being mentally ready. The rest should come naturally and then you can focus on surviving after the event.