Life can be stressful as it is, but when you’re in a crisis, the stress can get much worse. Being a flood victim, experiencing a hurricane tear through your neighborhood, being in a warzone, etc. are all traumatic events and situations that can leave you with frazzled nerves.
If you are stressed out, very often you’ll be able to notice symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, uneasy stomach, sweating profusely and even dizziness. You get easily irritated and angry. Small things may startle or scare you.
You feel depressed and can’t concentrate. You may have bad dreams, negative thoughts and find it difficult to sleep. All these symptoms are related to trauma due to stress.
In this article, you’ll find 6 tips that you can use to combat stress and calm yourself down. While things may me chaotic, you’ll not be undone by them if you keep your sanity.
1. Visualization
This is similar to what people do when practicing the law of attraction. By visualizing peaceful images or desired outcomes, you’ll be able to mentally remove yourself from the difficult situation you’re currently in. Like they say, ‘It’s all about mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.’
Visualize things getting better. Help arriving to ease your burdens, etc. Keep your spirits up with positive visualization.
2. Deep breathing
If you know yoga, that would be an excellent way to destress. If you don’t, try to take deep breaths to calm yourself down and oxygenate your body. Take a deep breath, hold it for 4 counts and slowly exhale. A few times of doing this and you’ll feel much more refreshed.
3. Planning
Planning makes you feel like you’re in control of the situation. One of the reasons so many people get stressed out is because they think that they’re not in control of the situation. They are clueless about what to do and this feeling of helplessness makes them panic.
By planning your next moves and being proactive, you’ll feel in control and be less likely to get stressed. The very act of planning is a proactive one and keeps feeling of despondency at bay.
4. Discussion
Talk to your family members and whoever is with you about the situation. By communicating with others, you’ll feel better because voicing your thoughts is an outlet for your pent-up emotions.
5. Exercise
When it comes to de-stressing, nothing quite beats physical exertion. During a crisis, you’ll have a lot of physical chores to do. Keep moving and get as much activity and exercise as you can. When you’re engaged in physical activity, your mind doesn’t have time to slip into the doldrums. An idle mind is a devil’s workshop.
6. Routine
Have a daily routine that you follow. Just because things around you are chaotic doesn’t mean that your life must be too. Having a routine and following it will keep your life predictable and less stressful during these tumultuous times.
The usual stress management tips apply even during crises. So, make sure you’re familiar with a few techniques that work for you and employ them if you find yourself losing hope and your spirits are sagging.
Mental toughness is all about finding fuel in an empty tank. Every prepper would do well to remember that when you’re going through hell, just keep going.
