How to Cope with Anxiety and Stress in an Emergenc

Table of contents

Introduction

Coping Strategies

Introduction

Emergencies are characterized by lack of certainty, and cause changes and disruptions in our daily routine.

Emotional and behavioral responses differ from person to person in terms of their impact, but they are essentially alike. It is possible to point to common physical reactions such as fatigue, weakness, lack of appetite, and so on, as well as emotional reactions such as fears, anxieties, sadness, depression, difficulties in maintaining focus, and so forth.

It is important to know that these are normal responses to an abnormal situation.

What can we do today so that we can make possible emergencies easier on ourselves?

The principle is clear: The more we know about emergencies in general and about ways to protect ourselves in particular, the better we will function, and the more we will believe in our ability and that of those close to us to deal with the situation. Preparing ahead of time will enable us to view the emergency as something familiar. We will be ready in terms of resources and in terms of possible responses, and we will react in a more effective manner.

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Coping Strategies

Here are a few rules that will help you cope better with an emergency:

1. It is important to carry out all the preparations that the authorized bodies (the I.D.F., the Home Front Command, the local authority, etc.) have instructed to make.

2. Identify those factors that helped you in the past when you had a problem or were stressed, and use them. Every person has his/her own unique coping tools (physical activity, talking with a friend or a relative, being with people one is close to, gathering information about the situation, faith, etc.). It is possible that something that helps one person is useless to another.

3. Being active (as opposed to being passive and idle) increases the feeling of control of the situation. Help yourself and others.

4. Make sure that your physical needs – food, water, rest, and sleep – and those of your family are taken care of.

5. Express your feelings. The ability to express one’s feelings is a sign of strength, not of weakness. It is important to hold a family talk (led by one or both parents) whose goals are strengthening family support and the feeling of togetherness, expressing the different thoughts, feelings and responses of family members during the extended period to show that these are normal and common to other people, and creating a sense that, despite the difficulties, it is possible to carry on. Thus the family becomes defined as a significant source of support for all its members.

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