Stress is a part of everyday life for even the most easy-going people. There's just no escaping it; we all get stressed out every once in a while. It's especially bad for those of us who choose to be prepared since we tend to be more aware of our surroundings—the good and the bad—than those who don't worry about such things.
Over the past few years, different parts of the world have witnessed and experienced difficult and really harsh conditions, including natural disasters, political and economic crises, and disease pandemics, to name just a few.
Some people are not able to deal with these stressful situations because of a lack of knowledge and awareness, leading to the loss of lives, and livelihoods, and even the destruction of structures and natural resources.
Being stressed from time to time is inevitable, but you can never let it get out of hand. Doing so can literally be deadly.
Fighting Stress in Survival Situations
Preparedness can definitely help us avoid stress in survival situations. One way of being prepared is by doing research and educating ourselves and our families about potential disasters and what we can do to survive.
The Big 5 Stressors Leading to Death During Survival and Preparedness
Knowledge is power, right? Getting yourself and those that you care about in a better position, mentally and physically, before a preparedness event is what we are all about. In this blog post, we wanted to discuss the things that cause us stress during these types of events.
Stress can kill. Mainly because it puts a person in a position to make poor decisions. If we recognize this and know that it is a possibility in the future we can then look at these stressors now and start to mitigate them.
Being out of Control
This is at the heart of the matter. We all want to be in control of our lives and do not like unwanted surprises. Disaster events by their very nature are not expected events and we do not control them by any means. When this happens find ways to be in control of your own actions during these events. That will at least alleviate some of the stress felt by the out-of-control event.
Cold, Thirst, or Hunger
Core body temp, hydration, and energy are your big needs in any given survival event. Whenever those things start to go away you get stressed. Knowing that now, you should definitely have a preparedness kit that helps cover these basic needs. That kit should be in your vehicle, as well as in your home, and possibly even something you can take from your car to your work place.
Sickness, Injury or Death
If any of these three are occurring then certainly the event has taken on extreme measures and will be inducing extreme stress. Prepare now by also having in your preps first aid and medical supplies, and the knowledge to use them. At the very least take your basic first aid classes that are offered nearly everywhere, or finding an advanced course will be even better. As for death, live your life to the fullest and prepare for the afterlife in whatever ways that you feel are necessary.
The most basic way of survival during natural disasters is having a bug-out bag which includes food, water, first-aid kits, personal hygiene kits, water purification tablets, as well as other necessities that can help you survive for at least 72 hours in case of evacuation. Learning about self-defense is also very helpful in case of attacks.
You might also consider investing in billions of gold and silver in case of an economic collapse. Education is really important for you to know the different ways of survival depending on the type of disruption you are preparing for. Ultimately, being educated and well-prepared will lower your stress levels significantly when disaster strikes.
How do you handle stress in everyday life? Would you be able to apply those techniques in a SHTF scenario? Let us know in the comments.
- The Psychology of Survival – Why Your Mind Matters Most
- Prepper List to Guide the Way to Total Preparedness
- Are You Really Prepared? | PT And Survival
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Jan 29, 2015, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
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Another suggestion. Like most people, I’m not comfortable in high places. That’s precisely why, when I did mountain climbing, I would violate that silly rule about not looking down. I assumed that a situation might arise when I had to look down and I couldn’t afford to panic. So every so often, I’d take my focus off my next hand or foothold and look down, telling myself, “OK, I can manage this.”
A similar technique should work in other dangerous situations. Rather than engage in unreflective fright, force yourself to face the danger and recognize its reality. Then tell yourself you can handle it.
After that, turn your attention back to the task in front of you, whether it’s climbing that rock face, finding shelter, or building a fire.
You might also want to read Rudyard Kipling’s “If” enough times that you become familiar with it. What it says is too often ignored in our whining, play the victim age.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175772