Whatever the crisis, its human nature to panic. Whether your world has been turned upside down by a global crisis, a natural disaster or a major life change, the first thing most of us do is panic.
When you know that a disaster is looming, you can prepare. If it’s a natural disaster, eg a cyclone, you can physically prepare by getting your go bag packed, making your home safe, having food, water and medical supplies, petrol, cash, torches, power banks, a generator….and so on.
Emotionally, when you panic, fear is simply saying “I want to be safe”. When you become aware of it, its good to feel it, face it, and knowing you can choose how to respond, that’s one thing you can control when it feels like everything else is out of control. You can control how you are, you can control your own energy and learn to stop and breathe…for me, it’s been the best thing to do when feel panicky …then to focus on just one step at a time… ask yourself ‘ok, what now, what is the first thing that needs to be done?’
Mentally, you can remind yourself how you’ve managed challenges in the past, know that you’re capable. That’s perhaps easier said than done when you’re in the middle of it and your mind is full of ‘what if’s’, however a positive mind set helps enormously.
Spiritually, when everything you take for granted is stripped away, you need to find your inner strength. It doesn’t matter if you can’t see or know what’s happening, when you know you’ve got that inner strength, that faith, you WILL move through it. Having faith, trust, it’s different for each of us, we all have something to hold onto and it’s such a comfort when you feel cut off from the world. You can find that for you… however it looks. Stay grounded.
Even in the face of adversity, you can find hope, reassurance when you connect with that place in your heart that brings you a sense of peace, the knowing that things happen for a reason and you are always looked after.
Dire situations show you just how strong, capable and adaptable you are.