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As discussed here, here and here in my Psychology of Survival series, being in a survival situation causes many stressors, that affect us psychologically, and how we plan and handle those emotions, determines whether or not we survive.

Knowing yourself, anticipating fears; being realistic, forming a positive attitude; reminding yourself why you are surviving; improving your survival knowledge and learning stress management techniques are several ways to manage your natural reactions to this unnatural situation.

Knowing yourself

• You know yourself, so be honest with yourself.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What are you capable of doing (can you catch and kill food)?
• Where are you capable of going (how far can you walk)?
• Do you need somebody's help?

Even if you don't have clear answers to these questions, it let's you know where your limitations might be, and you could ask for help, which improves your odds of survival.

Anticipating fears

Don't lie to yourself and say that you don't have fears, everyone does. Fears are usually associated with weaknesses, something that you are not good at doing to survive. List these fears, find solutions, and work on them. It won't completely eliminate the fear and weaknesses, but it will make it more likely you can survive through them.

Being realistic

Be honest about your situation and prepare for that. Plus, it’s usually better to plan for the worst, so you will be ready for almost anything, but also hope for the best, so you won’t drive yourself into a depression. It's good for your morale to have pleasant surprises because you are prepared, than tragic surprises, because you are not.

Forming a positive attitude

Looking for the good in things is really good for morale. It not only keeps you more hopeful, but believe it or not, it helps your creativity and imagination, which helps you solve problems faster.

Reminding yourself why you are surviving

• You are not only surviving for yourself, but you are surviving for others.
• You are surviving for those you have lost.
• You are surviving for loved ones that are depending on you.
• For your friends that need your help.
• For your community that needs your support.

The best way to survive is to survive together. Be strong for yourself, be strong for your people!

Improving your survival knowledge.

When you are at home, or you are evacuating, or in a Civil Defense Force preparing for a fight, you can constantly improve your survival knowledge.

• You can practice controlling your fears
• Focus on being more optimistic
• Learn first aid
• Learn to purify water
• Learn what plants and animals you can eat
• Learn to improve supply chains so you can get food and water to your people
• And then teach others.

You never stop improving your survival knowledge. And the more you learn, the more you survive.

Learning Stress Management techniques

Stress Management is probably the most important in survival psychology. If you don't manage stress well; you can panic, make dumb mistakes, and injure yourself or worse.

Here are some techniques to managing stress and staying calm in survival situations:

• Take time to relax and have a good laugh.
• Effectively manage your time, so you don't feel that you never have a break.
• Be assertive. Wherever you are, you want to be able to get shit done, it's not only to motivate yourself, but also to motivate others, to do the most important things…and remember to be nice :)
• Be optimistic. I know it's hard when you're scared, hungry, thirsty and fatigued, but trying to be optimistic gives you more hope, it drives you to survive longer, it allows you to solve problems faster, and also cuts down the amount of stress that you have.

In Conclusion.

This completes my Psychology of Survival series. Surviving is mostly about the "will to survive." It's about thinking clearly in uncertainty. It's about having natural reactions to unnatural environments. It's about being hopeful in a world that is void of hope. And being disciplined in a world of chaos.

Humans are a remarkable species. We are stubborn and we are resourceful. I have no doubt in my mind that if you remain calm, control your fears, plan for the worst, and hope for the best, you will survive, and better days will come!

Stay frosty people.

50% allocated to ph-fund.