Only a small percentage of people can think and act rationally during crisis, while everyone else either panics or doesn’t do anything at all. When you have loved ones depending on you to take charge and do something, it’s a good idea to train yourself how to respond to a crisis.
So how do you cultivate a mindset that can handle a major crisis without going through one first hand? The following tips will help train your brain to respond during crisis.
Plan Now, Not Later
It’s a great idea to think through a variety of situations now instead of waiting till they actually happen to plan for them. In most cases, it’ll be far too late once disaster strikes to truly know which decisions are best for you and your family. Don’t take that risk. Create a list of potential emergencies that could occur in your home or community, and then create a plan for what you and your loved ones would do in each one of them.
Invent Imaginary Crisis Scenarios
Planning ahead for a crisis should go beyond simply looking around and being aware of your surroundings. To help train your brain, you should routinely invent imaginary scenarios in your head and think through the best ways to react in them.
For example, analyze what you would do if you were there when a gunman started opening fire at a college campus or your workplace. Would you try to reason with the gunman? Do you have a concealed weapon that you would use to attempt to take him down? Where would you hide? Do you know basic first aid to help wounded victims you might encounter?
Contemplating these things ahead of time will prepare you to respond well if you have the misfortune of ending up in the imagined situation.
Involve Friends & Family
Tell your family and friends about the plans you’re making so that they can also act rationally as well when crisis hits. Doing small things routinely will allow them to help you out if a crisis situation arises. For example, teach your kids how to cook the foods in your food storage or show them where emergency items (i.e. fire extinguishers or escape ladders) are located in your home.
Another smart thing to do is to put your plan into writing. If something were to happen to you and you couldn’t communicate directly with your loved ones, having detailed written plans stored somewhere safe that they know about will assure that your planning doesn’t go to waste. Your family will surely be grateful for your preparedness.
Although thinking about and planning for crises may not be a particularly pleasant activity, training your brain to respond well by following these simple guidelines is sure to bring you and those around you peace of mind.
For more prepping tips and resources, check out Prepper’s Base.