I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking: “Of course, I will be thinking about surviving…is he kidding me?” In reality, when something “bad” or “catastrophic” happens your mind is likely going to be in shock and you will not be thinking about survival at all. In fact, this is probably the first major moment when you and your loved ones are the most vulnerable since there is going to be a whole lot of nothing going on with regards to all of you surviving whatever just happened. During this mind state you are totally wide open for bad things to happen – depending on what has happened. (For example: terrorist attack, plague, nuclear fallout, natural disasters, war, civil unrest/riots, etc….) You need to be able to snap out of whatever “funk” or mental state of mind you are in and begin to put into action the plan that you had previously developed for survival. (You *did* put together a survival plan; didn’t you?). NOTE: I will discuss survival plans in several upcoming blog postings.
Easier said than done – right? The shock of initially surviving or witnessing whatever just happened can be very great and you need to prepare and mentally condition yourself to come out of it as soon as possible. I’m not a psychologist; however, there are tricks you can use to assist you in getting your focus back and your mind in the proper survival state. One trick is to have some photos around you or easily visible to you to remind you of the urgent need to start “acting and reacting” to whatever the new situation is (the result of whatever bad thing is or has happened). You can also use other items in addition to or in replacement of the photos. Some examples of other items might be: a watch, rings/jewelry, trophies and/or a cherished memento/gift from someone special. It doesn’t matter what item or photos you choose to help you snap out of being in shock, as long as, you get started on executing your survival plan. For any others in your group that are also in shock, you need to get them out of shock ASAP so that everyone is operating according to the survival plan you developed ahead of time. You can use the same methods you used on yourself or you can use some of these techniques to bring them out of shock and more ready for action. You can use auditory methods like talking to them to help bring them out of shock. I recommend talking calmly and soothingly first before trying to shout or speak in a loud voice. You may also try physical contact with the other people. Hugs while gently rubbing or stroking them is good and you can combine this with speaking softly and calmly to them as well. Tickling them gently may or may not work depending on the individual you are trying to bring out of shock. The power of smell can also work to help bring them back out of shock. Try using items with strong odors like: vinegar, cider, ammonia, flowers, etc… to place under their nose so that they would get a chance to smell it as they breathe. The absolute last resort should be to try shaking them, pinching them or slapping them as this might backfire and drive them deeper into shock.
Okay, so now everybody is no longer in shock and is focused on executing the survival plan that had been previously been created and you are beginning to think like a survivalist – right? Well, close; but, no cigar. There is something else you need to do before just blindly following your previously created survival plan and that is reviewing the plan and making any necessary adjustments to the original plan. Why? Think about it for a moment. You created your plan prior to the bad events actually happening and there absolutely will be a need to “tweak” or adjust the original plans to compensate for the “unplanned for” natural or man-made situations that now exist. Being flexible in times of stress and willing to update your plans to deal with the new situation will be a test to determine just how well you are going to survive in the environment you and your loved ones find yourselves in.
Next BLOG posting will be more on the Survival Mindset so stay tuned!
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Survival is a combination of preparedness plus a survival mindset. If you have the WILL to survive, the skills/knowledge to survive, as well as, some planning and preparation ▬ then you will ultimately survive. Don't wait until it is too late or your chances for survival will diminish accordingly. As always, good luck and know I am on your side. ~~ The Survival Guy
