It has been a long time folks since we posted anything new on the lazy survivalist blog.  A lot of life changes have occurred and it has reminded me that as preppers we need to think about the emotional side of preparedness.  Preppers spend a lot of time stockpiling supplies and learning skills, but these are more focused on the material or physical aspect of preparedness.  One thinks about all of the natural disasters or apocalyptic events that could happen but rarely do we think about the emotional impact of these events. During any crisis you are going to potentially experience loneliness and isolation. You will endure stress and potentially depression. Whether you are lost in the mountains, holed up in a house during a hurricane, or going through a divorce the emotional impact can be severe.  These events will wear on you over time. Crisis events can also either bring you and your significant other closer together or tear you apart.  If there is any conflict going on in your relationship, it can be exacerbated by a crisis.  Additionally, you will learn very quickly who your friends are when a crisis comes.  Most will disappear at the first sign of trouble.  What about your children, how will they handle the crisis emotionally? These are issues that need to be dealt with now.

The first step is some preventative maintenance.  We take our cars in for an oil change every 4,000 miles or a tune up periodically but do we conduct any preventative maintenance on ourselves?  Any individual or relationship is going to have issues.  No matter how solid your connection, a crisis event will test everyone’s resolve.  Therefore, conduct some emotional preventative maintenance now. Go to couples therapy and make sure you fine tune the relationship before the crisis occurs. If your significant other does not want to go to counseling then that should be a red flag that something is wrong.  Better to deal with these issues today than during a serious event.  As an individual you need to understand your fears, hang ups, and emotional health.  Self-knowledge is perhaps the greatest gift you can provide yourself. This preventative maintenance should be done at least annually if not more often.  No matter how happy you feel or how great your relationship is – it can always be better.

The second step is forming deeper connections with the people around you. During hard times you will realize how few friends you actually have.  Most will not be there for you when you need them.  Some will avoid you as they are uncomfortable with the situation. Others just bury their heads in the sand and pretend nothing has happened.  Most people are not interested in the truth of the situation.  They go through life with blinders on and hope for the best. They are so consumed with their own lives and are not fully aware of what is really going on around them.  You need to figure out now who you can rely on when the crisis hits.  By forming deeper connections with people you will engage them more authentically and you will know if they are individuals you can count on or if they are going to fold like a tent.  Having a few really good friends is better than lots of acquaintances you can’t rely on.  Furthermore, cutting people out of your life that simply take up space and provide no uplifting support is a good idea.  It is relationship pruning in a manner of speaking.  As preppers finding new friends that have skills sets you lack is a great way to build a network of survivors that can be mutually supportive during a crisis.

Finally, you need to take an emotional inventory of yourself.  What are your strengths and weaknesses?  Build upon the strengths and compensate for the weaknesses.  Some deep introspection is necessary to determine how you will perform under stress.  Men tend to not do as well in this category as it is more difficult for them to talk about their feelings.  However, it is absolutely critical that you understand yourself before a crisis hits.  What do you need to do to lower stress?  What survival strategies do you do in order to get through difficult events?  It is a good idea to have these strategies in your back pocket for day to day existence as well as crisis scenarios.  Do you have a good friend that you can talk to?  Do you have a hobby or pastime that lowers your stress levels?  Would you be able to conduct these strategies during a crisis and if not what are your alternatives?  Everyone can use an emotional inventory from time to time.  Remember that which does not kill you makes you stronger.

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