Keep a cool head while others are losing theirs

It’s tempting, in times of chaos and confusion, to give in to the childlike urge to do your best ostrich imitation and hide your head in the sand until it passes. Or worse, do your hyperventilating best to make certain every decision is a bad one. Panic is human nature but you can train yourself not to give in to the beast.

Catastrophe seems to bring out the best and worst in us all. Look to recent events during the massive earthquake in Haiti or, a few years back, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans; heroism, panic, calm heads, and dastardly deeds collided beneath that southern sky as people tried to escape the storm sunken streets.

But what can you do to keep your cool and make good decisions in the midst of chaos? Here are some ideas:

1. Stay positive: This is a good idea for every single day of your life.  Negativity doesn’t get anybody anywhere and it sure won’t help you survive a calamity.

2. Set attainable goals: Don’t go crazy with grandiose schemes. Take reasonable actions to achieve the first order of business, survival. Keep breathing, keep eating, and stay out of harm’s way.

3. Be flexible: This doesn’t mean you should be able to contort like a gymnast (though that might help) but, rather, to realize that sometimes the plan must change. A rigid outlook can be deadly.

4. Learn from Mistakes: Do you enjoy repeating the same mistake over and over until it gets someone killed? We sincerely hope not.

Most of all, take a deep breath and think…

The Holistic Survival Team