FACT-CHECK THE NEWS
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So many people are afraid during an emergency . . . and most people consider fear to be a bad thing, like some kind of liability or an unpleasantness that we should minimize in our lives. Our instinct of fear, however unflattering, is actually a very helpful tool when used in small doses. Sure, we’re all supposed to laugh in the face of danger and never get frightened over anything, but that’s just Hollywood brainwashing. We’ve all been scared, plenty of times in our lives, and the thing is that the right amount of fear is a good thing. And even though it’s true that unbridled fear can become a hazard in a life or death crisis, fear can also save us.
Here’s why fear is our friend, but panic is our enemy.
ACCEPT YOUR FEARS Fear is our natural instinct concerning
dangerous things. Our fear of heights keeps us from falling to
our death, when it’s working properly. Our fear of snakes keeps us from getting bitten, or at least it’s supposed to. And similarly, our fear of COVID-19 keeps (most of us) from licking doorknobs in public places. That’s right, fear keeps us safe! And when that fear is kept under control, it’s working for us. But when we become overly stressed or fearful, we are often at the mercy of the cocktail of hormones and chemicals that pump through our bodies. It’s quite common that this flush of hormones will lead to panic, which is definitely
working against us.
DON’T PANIC! Panic can be described an unrestrained, illogical, and unthinking fear that is a common response to crisis. This reaction can manifest itself in many ways. If you
panic, you may run around frantically. Or you may be frozen
FACE YOUR FEAR
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in fear and unable to move. You may even become overwhelmed by emotion. Any of these responses could get you into more trouble, and then you’ll have a whole new set of problems. But if you use your fear as a tool, and hold panic at bay-then you are the master of your fear (and not the
other way around).
KEEP IT TOGETHER The best way to avoid panicking in any stressful, overwhelming situation is to focus on something small that you can control, like performing a helpful task. This directs your mind away from the frightening issue and allows you to start thinking constructively again. Being wrapped up in a global pandemic is a scary thing, but if you focus on the things that you can control, your fears and
worries can be held in check.
By now, you’d have to have been hiding under a rock not to have heard of “social distancing.” (Which, by the way, if you have been hiding under a rock, congratulations! You’re doing a great job—now stay there!) The basic rule is to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) away from anyone you’re not already quarantined with. That sounds simple enough, but when the guy behind you in line at Target starts edging into your airspace, how close is too close? Here are some handy visuals that may not make it any easier to tell, but will possibly make it more amusing. Maybe (depending on where you live, how closely you paid attention to you history classes, and what you like to eat for lunch), it’ll be easier to picture one adult gator, one Abraham Lincoln (you get almost an extra foot of safety if you
include his hat!), or six delicious Subway sandwiches.
KEEP YOURDISTANCE
6 ft (2m)
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Like it or not, the current pandemic is forcing us all to think about survival skills and become more self-reliant, but providing for yourself isn’t always about lighting fires, building huts or making traps. Self-reliance is about enduring, through any crisis or emergency. It’s not just one skill, or even a handful of skills. At its core, self-reliance is a mindset, and it’s something we teach as the “survivor mentality” in books and classes. The survivor mentality is so important, in fact, that we both begin and end certain classes with the topic. So what is your survivor mentality? It’s a collection of mental, emotional, psychological, and intellectual attributes that directly impact your survival. These include (but are not limited to): attitude, work ethic, adaptability, creativity, mental toughness, motivation, and
tenacity. These are the things that our ancestors needed to
survive and we still need these attributes to make it through tough times. We’ll cover many these separate aspects of the survivor mentality in this book, but for now, focus on your
attitude (since it governs so many other things)”
CULTIVATE YOUR SURVIVOR MENTALITY
A positive attitude in the face of adversity may be one of the most important skills to master. It is also one of the hardest, but so very worth the trouble. Think of your attitude as a lens that you are looking through. It controls your perception of any situation, and this impacts your outcome. For example, if you have a sour and negative attitude about our current pandemic situation, you’ll be miserable and you’ll also make
everyone around you miserable. If you can look for positives
in the situation, and keep an upbeat attitude, then you’ll have a better day and a better outcome. The “glass” really is half-full, you just need to figure out how and believe it. Try practicing an “attitude of gratitude” in your daily routine. Reflect on the things that you are glad to have and allow that gratitude to uplift you. Your attitude controls so much of your mind and your emotions. Remember: If you don’t control
your attitude, it will control you.
WATCH THE ATTITUDE
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We’re in the midst of a pandemic, and anyone who is paying attention should be distressed right now. In any crisis, declining mental healthis a risk that we all face. In fact, it would be rare for someone in a crisis would retain 100% of their normal mental health and emotional state.Consider the fatigue, worry, withdrawal from addictive substances, isolation, a lack of sound sleep, the changes in diet, and emotional stress in an emergency. Any regular person should be a train wreck. With this in mind, carefully monitor yourself and those around you for depression, anger, frustration, hyperactivity, feelings of intense guilt, ideas of suicide,
and any irrational behavior.
Do whatever you can to avoidshutting down while you’re on lockdown. Reach out and get help, for yourself and
those you care about.
DON’T
DESPAIR
20LEARN FROM HISTORY
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If you’re been paying attention, you’ve been seeing warnings about the mighty power of tiny germs for years—and now, sadly, those warnings are proving true. Yes, this is a serious illness we are facing, but I’d encourage you to look for the “silver lining” in this pandemic—it could have been a much nastier bug.