Groov VP Clinical Dr Fiona Crichton shares strategies for protecting your mental wellbeing during emergencies and disasters.
It’s normal for your mental wellbeing to suffer during a state of emergency. Extreme events – such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and pandemics – are incredibly stressful.
If you’re currently in a state of emergency and experiencing increased anxiety, fear, grief, overwhelm, worry, and even hopelessness or despair, please know you’re not alone.
Below are some strategies to help you cope during a state of emergency, both in a practical sense (keeping safe) and an emotional sense (looking after your mental wellbeing).
I’ve developed the acronym WALK & TALK to remind you of eight key steps to take during these incredibly difficult and uncertain events.
WALK is for the acute stage of the emergency – when you’re right in the thick of danger and need to act quickly and decisively.
When officials declare a state of emergency, information is everywhere. Your brain will quickly become overloaded and enter crisis mode, making it difficult to remember specific details. Write things down as you hear or read them – such as official advice and phone numbers – so you can return to this essential information when you need it.
We’re not designed to deal with emergency events alone. Reach out to your community. Access support services and lean on your networks. Ask for all the help you need.
In a crisis, it’s normal for your brain to immediately go to all the things outside of your control. This can feel paralysing and make it difficult to take next steps. Instead, try to switch your attention to things you can control, and use these things to make a plan for each day.
Stay connected with the people you care about, your wider communities, and your workmates. You’ll be worrying about people you can’t see – so reach out and check in. This will help you gain perspective, as well as understand how you can help and support each other.
TALK is helpful for the chronic stage of the emergency – when the imminent danger has passed and you’re processing the event, as well as cleaning up and rebuilding.
This is about taking time to pause, even just for a few minutes. When coping with the aftermath of a natural disaster, long breaks may feel impossible. But taking a few moments for slow, deep belly breathing calms the fight or flight system and draws attention to the now. Deep breathing will bring you into the present moment and back into your parasympathetic nervous system.
It’s usual to experience a range of tricky emotions in times of crisis and uncertainty. Naming your feelings activates the part of your brain that processes emotions. State your feelings out loud, share them with a friend, or even write them down. This will help difficult feelings dissipate more quickly.
During the darkest times, being aware of small snippets of good helps to feed hope. Focus your attention on a delicious meal, the comfort of a chair, or the sound of a loved one’s voice. Looking for small good things also helps to remind your brain that some things are certain and concrete, even during uncertainty.
Recovering from an emergency can take a very long time. It’s important to know your limits. Be aware of your body and set boundaries. You need to be able to stop, refuel, and sleep. Essentially, this is about setting a cadence for your day that’s sustainable, so you don’t burnout and can keep supporting yourself and others.
The old adage of putting your own oxygen mask on first applies during these incredibly stressful and trying times. Taking steps to protect your own mental wellbeing during a state of emergency will help you stay safe, alert, and be there for yourself and those around you.