Mental wellbeing

[tigger159]

Interesting thread....
Through my job I've done a lot of management of major emergency training, its taught me a few very basic principles for getting over the initial emergency -
Always plan & prepare for the worst - the initial moment you realise you have a serious situation needs clarity of mind & a clear realistic plan, its the only fixed reference you have. Confidence comes from executing the plan & seeing it work - its a self perpetuating feeling as you realise your in control.
The initial high is followed by.....realisation of reality - again a simple high level plan that will carry you through this, you need to keep driving yourself & your own reality (your plan to succeed), if you stop someone elses reality catches up with you.
You will need help to get over the moment true reality catches up (typically the major event is over, help is on its way (or not)....thud, it all comes home to you) - I'd suggest in a SHTF situation you won't be able to do this alone, your need to team up with others.

For me this means I have my bug-out bags, I have a single sheet plan & I've exercised it......spending a night or 2 alone in the woods with just the stuff you have in your bag is sobering & you realise (a) you've brought a load of junk (b) you left some seriously good kit at home where someone else will find it (c) there's some strange noises at night & you wish you'd brought a friend - all good lessons to tune the plan.
Having my immediate family to look after will give me a sense of purpose & keep me driven, it will also give my family someone to follow & stop them flapping. Here's where the plan is critical - you have to have direction & each step in the plan needs to be a goal - it will keep you focussed & give a sense of achievement, but work the plan as a team, keep going back to it & make sure you drive yourself & the team to each goal.

All pretty heavy stuff ehhh ? lol
The plan is key & needs to carry you past the 1st 24 hrs & onward..
Practise the plan - again this will make you feel better because you can tune a realistic plan - you know it will work.

If you take the -
3 minutes without hope
3 hours without shelter
3 days without water
3 weeks without food

The last 2 should be in your bug-out kit. The second one could be part of the bug-out kit or an alternate place to go. The first one is a plan that you know will work.
As for the rest of the story......we'll get to build that together.

[jansman]

Mental wellbeing is very impprtant ALLTHE TIME. Not just shtf. I have become a fan of Karma. It is that hippy crippy doolally idea ofWhat Comes Round Goes Round-sort of thing. My late Father became an exponent of Karma when he had terminal cancer.

Jan and me went to the pub tonight. Guy in a wheelchair in there-quite obviously terminal. Sad but true. Then Karma kicked in. My job is Fecked. But I live.

As I write, I am in front of a woodstove with a glass of wine. Life is good.

[essgee23]

Mental wellbeing is very impprtant ALLTHE TIME. Not just shtf. .

Absolutely agree Jansman .

I was only referring to the OP and in the SHTF situation specifically.

Just trying to emphasize how moving on to building a shelter (even if have kit in your BOB tigger ) and sorting water is tricky if mental well being is compromised.

This could be from illness, dehydration, shock, hyothermia, hypoglyceamia, blood loss...a plethora of reasons which we can usually asist back to homeostasis in a calm situation, but would affect even our most basic of judgements and actions.

But its a negative cycle isnt it - need to be mentally focussed to build fire - need fire to be warm and prevent hyppothermia - hypothermia creates...blah blah blah

[tacticalprepper]

Interesting thread....
Through my job I've done a lot of management of major emergency training, its taught me a few very basic principles for getting over the initial emergency -
Always plan & prepare for the worst - the initial moment you realise you have a serious situation needs clarity of mind & a clear realistic plan, its the only fixed reference you have. Confidence comes from executing the plan & seeing it work - its a self perpetuating feeling as you realise your in control.
The initial high is followed by.....realisation of reality - again a simple high level plan that will carry you through this, you need to keep driving yourself & your own reality (your plan to succeed), if you stop someone elses reality catches up with you.
You will need help to get over the moment true reality catches up (typically the major event is over, help is on its way (or not)....thud, it all comes home to you) - I'd suggest in a SHTF situation you won't be able to do this alone, your need to team up with others.

For me this means I have my bug-out bags, I have a single sheet plan & I've exercised it......spending a night or 2 alone in the woods with just the stuff you have in your bag is sobering & you realise (a) you've brought a load of junk (b) you left some seriously good kit at home where someone else will find it (c) there's some strange noises at night & you wish you'd brought a friend - all good lessons to tune the plan.
Having my immediate family to look after will give me a sense of purpose & keep me driven, it will also give my family someone to follow & stop them flapping. Here's where the plan is critical - you have to have direction & each step in the plan needs to be a goal - it will keep you focussed & give a sense of achievement, but work the plan as a team, keep going back to it & make sure you drive yourself & the team to each goal.

All pretty heavy stuff ehhh ? lol
The plan is key & needs to carry you past the 1st 24 hrs & onward..
Practise the plan - again this will make you feel better because you can tune a realistic plan - you know it will work.

If you take the -
3 minutes without hope
3 hours without shelter
3 days without water
3 weeks without food

The last 2 should be in your bug-out kit. The second one could be part of the bug-out kit or an alternate place to go. The first one is a plan that you know will work.
As for the rest of the story......we'll get to build that together.

You should write a book, honestly, there's a lot of useful tips you've mentioned. Building a solid plan is something that I'm struggling with, I mean do I make it universal (eg. the rule of three kind of thing), or list every potential situation and how I would deal with it? I've been putting it off for quite some time. I guess sometimes we need a kick up the ass to get on with it

[essgee23]

You should write a book, honestly, there's a lot of useful tips you've mentioned. Building a solid plan is something that I'm struggling with, I mean do I make it universal (eg. the rule of three kind of thing), or list every potential situation and how I would deal with it? I've been putting it off for quite some time. I guess sometimes we need a kick up the ass to get on with it

Personally - I'd start with something basic but generic - the rule of 3 seems to fit this quite well and knowledge and kits prepared with this in mind shouldn't (in my opinion) be too far off all you need I expect.

If you then went on to develop plans and lists for many differnet situations and have them written in a notebook in kit maybe - this could be that additional tool to help with preparing and being focussed.


Some notes on basic skills and 'what to do if' scenarios may be good, an example is first aid - keeping and learning data such as RICE and ABCDE, or water purification tips, learning knots or having a little guide to hand in your kit may also be a good basic focus to set foundations for other things.

[tshw1973]

Your thinking too much about this. Your either going to survive or not. You are unlikely to be able to tell which in advance. Such is evolution. I wouldn't worry about it too much it's unlikely to happen anyway.
But the reality is this. By being on this forum you are steps ahead of most of the population if the shtf.
That on itself is a head start.
If the shtf the reality will be so bleak many people who survive would kill themselves. See the film 'the road' which I think would reflect the reality.

[redskies]

Hmm, the reality. That is, as you say, one that many people are going to struggle with. Two things that will help. A family or close friends alongside you and the sort of mental attitude that sees donuts, not holes. That one is going to be down to you - not much anyone else can do about it.