Mental Preparedness

What does being prepared mentally for an emergency even mean? Does it mean reading as many news articles as you can so you know what is happening in the world? Actually, I feel that would be counterproductive to ones mental stability.

Mental preparedness could save your life.

How much knowledge do you have? You can prep all the gadgets and gizmos in the world, but you can’t carry them all on your back if you have to hike home or bug out.
How do you respond in an emergency? Do you hold it together until you don’t have to? That is my norm. I hold it together until I know it’s safe to let my guard down. Do you break down at the first sign of stress?

If you find yourself in a catastrophic event and feel like you are losing hope, focus on something positive. Seeing a loved one again. Something to mentally get you through the event.
Having a family plan helps me. Of course even the best laid plans don’t always work, and there are many things that could derail the plan. Regardless, it sets my mind at ease.

Practice with your gear. Read and learn as much as you can. The more knowledge you have in your head the better prepared you will be thus reducing anxiety and stress in an emergency.
Less stress helps your mental state.

Something The Principal and I practice is situational awareness, especially if we are out in public.
For example, we go to a restaurant to eat dinner. We have done a lot of this since traveling with his job.

• He will always sit facing the entry to the restaurant or bar. Ideally, we are both facing entrances.
• He parks where a quick exit would be doable.
• We pay attention to our surroundings.
• We don’t zone out by being on our phones.

 

Dan at Survival Outpost says it great:
Let’s start off with visualization.

Visualization exercises are my favorite. From Neanderthal ‘artwork’ found in caves to text-based computer games to video, our minds were always able to make simple representations come to life using the power of imagination.

No, we’re not just going to imagine the SHTF scenario. To make it as real as possible, let’s find some YouTube videos with some of them. Look at one, then close your eyes and put yourself right in the middle of the action.

Imagine yourself moving quickly and with confidence, knowing exactly where to go to lead your loved ones to safety. As you’re doing this, notice the other people running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Most of them will surely die… but you don’t have time for them, you’re too busy doing what needs to be done.
Now, there are two keys to this exercise: read more

Don’t get normalcy bias. I’m preaching to the choir on this one. I stated in my most recent newsletter how I got to go for a fancy haircut over the weekend. The Principal had given me a gift certificate to a spa. I splurged on my hair. Then I took myself shopping. Then I thought to myself (I actually made a Podcast, but lost the file) how I missed this. The not having a care in the world. Totally unplugging and not reading the news online or listening to the Patriot channel on satellite radio. (it came with the car) I like first world things like fancy hair cuts and mani/pedis.
Then I came to. None of these things will save my life if the SHTF. None of these things really help my mental preparedness, do they?
Is it okay to take a break once in awhile? Sure it is. Can these worlds co-exist? For some they can.
I am not that someone. I can’t have my cake and eat it too. I have to be all in or not at all. That’s just my personality though. So I will enjoy my “retail therapy” days once in awhile. Too much and I do get normalcy bias and this doesn’t do my family any good.

What do you do for mental preparedness?

P.S. The Organic Prepper wrote a great article on the phycology of survival

You can read the rest of the series:
Medical Preparedness
Physical Preparedness
Spiritual Preparedness

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