The importance of mental resilience in crisis situations: Strategies for staying calm when SHTF

08/16/2024 / By HRS Editors

When preparing for different emergencies, you should keep in mind that mental and emotional preparedness is just as important as your food stockpile. This ensures that when SHTF, you can stay calm and help your family stay safe no matter what scenario you are facing. (h/t to PrepForceOne.com)

Emergencies are often very stressful and demanding. But if you know how to strengthen your mental preparedness, things won’t seem so scary when SHTF.

How to develop a resilient mindset

Resilience means being able to recover from difficult situations and knowing how to adapt to challenging situations.

Here are some tips on how to develop a resilient mindset:

Try to have a positive outlook

It can be difficult but try to practice gratitude and focus on the good things. Having an optimistic perspective can help you maintain motivation and find solutions to different problems when SHTF.

Practice flexibility

Practicing flexibility means being open to change and adaptability.

Prepping involves a lot of planning, but you should also accept that things won’t always go as planned during emergencies. At the same time, being flexible helps you adapt quickly to find alternative solutions.

Develop emotional regulation

Being able to manage and regulate your emotions effectively can help you identify and acknowledge your emotions. This skill also helps you find healthy ways to process and express them, such as through meditation.

You can also try journaling or talking to a loved one.

Sharpen your problem-solving skills

You can improve your problem-solving skills by practicing critical thinking and logical reasoning.

Even if disaster doesn’t strike, always try to look for creative solutions and approach problems from different perspectives.

Negative behaviors to avoid

When SHTF, it can be easy to revert to self-serving behaviors that can make the situation worse.

Stay calm in a crisis and avoid these negative behaviors:

Abandoning your family or fellow preppers to save yourself
Not communicating to clear up any issues or misunderstandings
Blaming others when things go wrong
Forgetting your emergency plans or procedures while in a state of panic

Learn how to recognize negative behaviors and try to meet the immediate needs of your family when SHTF.

How to care for your mental health

Just as you would need food to keep up your energy when facing emergencies, you need emotional reserves to care for your mental health, particularly during stressful situations.

These strategies can help you build emotional reserves:

Self-care

Try self-care activities that promote relaxation, such as exercise, meditation, reading or spending time in nature. Addressing both physical and emotional needs can help develop emotional resilience.

Develop strong relationships

Even preppers know the importance of having strong relationships.

Develop meaningful relationships with fellow preppers to build a strong support network. During stressful times, social connections can provide emotional support.

Your family and friends can also offer different perspectives and create a sense of belonging in emergencies.

Seek emotional support

When facing difficult situations, you should seek emotional support from family, friends, or mental health professionals (if available).

If you are stressed, talking about your worries can help relieve stress and give a new perspective. (Related: How to remain calm in stressful situations.)

Coping mechanisms that can help

Before SHTF, you should develop effective coping mechanisms for mental and emotional preparedness.

These techniques can help:

Stress reduction techniques

If you are often struggling with stress, stress reduction techniques such as deep breathing exercises or mindfulness meditation can help calm the mind and alleviate anxiety.

Maintain Routines

Maintaining routines even after SHTF can give you a sense of stability and control.

Simple routines, such as maintaining regular meal times can also give you a sense of much-needed comfort and structure.

Find meaning even after SHTF

Things can seem hopeless when dealing with emergencies. If you are having dark thoughts, try to identify your values and what gives your life meaning.

Find a sense of purpose and think of the big picture during difficult times. Focusing on meaning and purpose can provide motivation and resilience if you feel like you have lost your purpose during an emergency.

As you improve your mental resilience, you can also prepare before SHTF by stocking up on food and water for the whole family.

Where to get supplies for your stockpile

The Health Ranger Store is here to help you prepare for any emergency. That’s why we’re proud to introduce these laboratory-verified supplies for your prepping needs.

The Ranger Bucket Organic Emergency Storable Food Supply is the world’s first emergency food supply that’s certified organic and lab-verified. All the food items are organic, non-GMO and laboratory-tested for heavy metals.

They are also free of chemical ingredients such as MSG or preservatives.

Ranger Bucket Organic Emergency Storable Food Supply contains an assortment of superfoods such as Organic Almonds, Organic Black Beans and Organic Dry Milk Powder (Non-Fat).

Looking for a dietary supplement? Try Clean Chlorella 200mg Tablets.

Derived from ultra-clean Chlorella vulgaris grown indoors under tightly controlled conditions, our Health Ranger Select Clean Chlorella™ Tablets provide a well-balanced ratio of highly bioavailable vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Our Clean Chlorella™ is a “thin cell wall” chlorella with high digestibility, which is amazing in terms of optimal nutrient preservation.

Our Health Ranger Select Clean Chlorella™ Tablets undergo extensive lab testing for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology to ensure that you get one of the cleanest commercially available chlorella products on the market.

They are also vegan, non-GMO and non-China.

Lastly, stock up on Health Ranger Select Pink Himalayan Salt, which contains a full spectrum of electrolytes and trace minerals that are usually stripped away from regular table salt.

It is mined from ancient sea salt deposits located deep inside the Himalayan Mountains using the traditional room and pillar mining method. The mined salt crystals are thoroughly inspected and sorted to ensure quality and purity.

Health Ranger Select Pink Himalayan Salt is glyphosate-tested and Kosher-certified. It is also vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, laboratory-verified and China-free.

Visit Health Ranger Store and Brighteon Store to find more high-quality products for your stockpile. You can also check out Preparedness.news for more tips on how to get ready for emergencies.

Read the ultimate guide to starting your own survival and preparedness food pantry by clicking on this link.

Watch this clip about the survival uses of Pink Himalayan Salt.

This video is from the Health Ranger Store channel on Brighteon.com.