SURVIVAL MIND
Having the right mindset when it comes to the psychological aspects of a survival situation can make the difference between life and death. One panicked descion or moment of indescion can spell disaster for you and those looking up to you for leadership and guiadence. Mental resilience is not something that is built up over night. It is a life style choice and a mindset that is developed. My hopes for you that are reading is that it will give you a starting point and some advice on becoming more resilient and able to cope with the upcoming storm.
STRESS AND MENTAL BREAKDOWN
STRESS OVERLOAD
While small amounts of stress can be good, too much stress can cause a sensory overload and judgement and the ability to act quickly become impaired. It is vital that each of us have a effective stress management strategy both for immediate and prolonged stress.
DEALING WITH STRESS
When stressed, you adopt a defensive position, your breathing become shallow, and your eyes unfocus. Intentionally adopting the physical opposite of these traits can limit the negative effects of stress. Take on a confident and assured body posture, breathe calmly, and make focused eye contact.
TRUAMATIC STRESS
Feeling unable to cope in certain situations is one of many symptoms of this form of stress. It is often accompanied by anger, depression, and confusion. Being aware of the symptoms can make this stress action easier to spot in yourself and others
PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS
Increased heart rate and chest pain
Dizziness and sweating
Nausea and indigestion
Nervous habits such as pacing or talking more then normal
Eating too much or not enough
Sleeping too much or not enough
MENTAL EFFECTS OF STRESS
Focusing on the negative
Irrational behavior
Increased temper or irritability
Memory and concentration problems
Imparied judgement
Inabilty to relax or switch off
Neglecting or refusing responsibilities
Feelings of depression and isolation
Stress is the biggest inhibitor of clear thinking. An involuntary response to threat, stress prepares your body for danger. While stress can save your life, it can also make it hard to think clearly.
MAINTAINING CONTROL
TRAINING YOUR MIND TO PREPARE AND DEAL WITH STRESS CAN MINIMIZE ITS NEGATIVE EFFECTS. JUST AS PHYSICAL EXERCISE MAKES YOUR BODY STRONGER, MENTAL TRAINING MAKES YOUR MIND STRONGER
VERBALIZE YOUR NEXT STEP
Doing complex task well under stress requires powerful mental composure. In times of stress vocalizing your next move can help you maintain concentration. Saying things out loud such as "I need to bandage the arm wound" can help you stay in control.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Checklist can save you time and energy, as well as allowing you to focus your thoughts. Rank your task in order of importance, only removing them once you nothing more to do on that task. Focus you attention on fullfilling the most important task first and don't forget to delegate if you can
Mental Focus
Developing mental focus and being able to perform under stress at optimal levels is essential to any survival situation. Practice and train under simulated real world conditions. Do this so you are not shocked when faced with a real situation.
SHARING EXPERIENCES
Talking through difficult situations or fears can help you put them into perspective. While this comes easier to some, sharing experiences can reduce the negative effects of stress on the individual and the group. Whatever your situation you are not alone and it is likely others have the same fears.
MAKING DECISIONS
Quick decision making is vital in combat, where you may have split seconds to form a plan, then act upon it. We can convey this to many survival situations we could find ourselves in and can apply the same process military soldiers are taught from day one to make decisions under pressure. Remember it is better to do something then to do nothing at all. As shown in combat indecision and doing nothing is what gets people killed. There are some practical process we can do and implement so we don't choke when the shit hits the fan.
If you find yourself wracked by indecision about your best course of action in a survival situation use the 'rule of three' descision process as taught to the US Army. When faced with a problem think of three different solutions. Any fewer then three and you don't have enough options and more then three and you have to many alternatives. Honestly asses the positive and negatives of each option, then without dwelling obsessively on detail, chose what seems the best solution. Most importantly stick with you choice once it is made. Soldiers are taught that the biggest danger in extreme circumstances is not ;making the wrong descision, its making no descision at all. Do not worry to much if there are still problems with in your plan, you can negotiate these as you go along. Rule of thre thinking has the advantage of giving you a structure to your thinking processs in extreme circumstances. Additionally, being the first to take action often means your chances of winning are much greater.
Humans are programmed to respond instincts to threat. This instinct to flee from a dangerous situation, even when you have been ordered to move forwards into it, is made worse by prolonged exposure to stress. Dealing effectively with panic and overcoming the natural human instinct to run and save yourself can make all the difference in team situations., where each individual relies upon there teammates.
To avoid panic train under real circumstances. I remember as a combat engineer going through minefield training, and having to disarm training mines well simulated explosions and smoke surround me. Training is manner will help you to mentally prepare for the real think.
DEVELOPING MENTAL TOUGHNESS
SURVIVAL INSTINCT AND TRAINING TO WIN
Any survival scenario or disaster will be intense psychologically and physically. You will be bombarded by sights, sounds, feeling, emotions, smells, and life or death choices. Mastering your survival instincts and not allowing it to turn into panic will take you far in many survival situations. Remembering to remain calm, not make decisions off of fear and anxiety, and to act will help you become the master.
Another mistake often made when training for survival situations is training to win. Being able to combat physical and mental trials requires you being able to compartmentalize the discomforts you might experience and to focus on the task at hand. You need to be able to put away the pain from that heavy pack, the smell of the dirty clothes, and the chill in the air. It might sound new age, but believing you can succeed can make all the difference in a survival situation. Trainging to high standards and pushing yourself is paramount.
DEALING WITH THE FEAR OF DEATH
One of the most profound fears we as humans face is death. In a disaster the magnitude of death and suffering is often unimaginable to to anyone who has not lived through one. Nothing can ever truly prepare you for this. Having held people in my arms as their live slipped away to seeing first hand the fury of hurricane Katrina unless you have been through it you can not truly understand it. What I can tell you is that death happens in disasters and doesn't discriminate against whom it claims. Accepting that fact and preparing for what might come is the best advice I can give you.
DISCIPLINE YOUR DOWNTIME
Disciplining yourself to make best of every opportunity is something that as a soldier I quickly learned. Taking a advantage of downtime to grab a brief nap, which can be quite refreshing and moral boosting, is a good way to combat sleep depervation. Also filling your downtime with constructive activity can lift moral, keep you feeling positive and optimistic, and can keep you from dwelling on negative events and your situation,
UNDERSTANDING AND FACING FEAR
Not only does fear have psychological aspects it also has physiological effects. First fear effects body control. Fear can cause us to physically shake which can effect our fine motor skills. It then effects your vision as oxygen levels drop and our peripheral vision begins to fade and tunnel vision sets in. It also effects our hearing and sounds can become muted or distant making it difficult to hear what is going on around us as our heart rate quickens. Lastly it physically effects our brain as blood is drained away from the frontal, rational parts of the brain, making reasoned thought difficult. This also creates the feeling of time slowing down.
The counter to fear is courage. We have all heard tales of bravery where men and women have done things in the face of adversity that have saved their lives and the lifes of others. Courage is not not often found through shear willpower, but though simple action. A simple action such as standing up can give you the confidence that will lead to a series of actions that result in the changing of a dire situation .
Remember friends in the end we can never utterly remove fear from our life and do away with all stress. What we can do is better understand the mindset we will need to survive, how to take care our mental health in disaster, and how to make decisions under pressure and not panic. Lastly I leave you with this every act of courage and bravery you have ever heard of through out all history started with one simple decision to do take one small step in the face of adversity and fear. Stay safe and train hard my friends.