Coping with crises: strengthening mental health

When most people think of survival, the first thing they think of is a trip into the wilderness, equipped with a survival kit that they have put together beforehand. The selection is large and can be overwhelming – so you should first deal with the most important of all survival kits and strengthen your mental health.
To put it positively: With the right mental health, you can compensate for some deficiencies. All the material is useless if you are not able to handle the situation as a whole. Therefore, we recommend again and again in various places: Pay attention to your mental health and keep your mind fit!

Mental fitness must be trained

Mental health is a topic that is getting more and more attention. However, not everyone is lucky enough to be trained in the first few years of life to be stress-resistant and optimistic.

If you’re one of those just starting to explore mental health empowerment, we have good news for you: It’s never too late to take care of yourself!
The offerings are many and varied these days: there are countless webinars as well as special on-site seminars that teach you how to be good to yourself. Because experts also confirm that a relaxed approach has a significant influence on success.

This is how you can strengthen your mental health

There are many ways to improve your mental health and train your mental fitness. In the following we present some points that are essential:

Challenges instead of problems: If you see problems and difficulties as challenges, you will find it easier to solve them. If you only think of the solution, you will find it faster!
Hurdles are a Gift: Every hurdle and obstacle you overcome will make you stronger. How to train your resilience.
Creating goals and plans: Go within and find out where you want to go. It’s easier to get there if you know exactly what it looks like. Caution: Be realistic and don’t overdo it as this can lead to frustration. A healthy amount of goals, on the other hand, will fulfil you.
Breaking through routines: Humans are creatures of habit, but it is still important to regularly leave your comfort zone. Try something new, dare the adventure! For example, you can be dropped off at a location 50 kilometres away and try to make your way back home without money. In this way, you sharpen your senses and learn more about your own capabilities.

Coping with crises: The right preparation makes the difference

A crisis initially only describes a difficult situation or critical situation. Apart from natural disasters or wars, there are also personal crises that are different for everyone.
Nevertheless, the following always applies: the spirit comes first. It doesn’t matter whether it’s about your physical, social or financial survival. The shock has to be digested first. When preparing for such scenarios, the following applies:

Keep Calm: First, you should try to keep a cool head. Try to look at the situation from the outside. Take a step back, organize your thoughts and take a deep breath. This will become easier for you the longer you work on improving your mental health.
Accept what you cannot change: the sooner you come to terms with the situation, the sooner you can start finding a solution.
Have emergency contacts ready: You should definitely think in advance about which contacts you might need for different situations. These can be friends, but it also makes sense to save the numbers of specialists, skilled workers or doctors in your cell phone or in your address book.
Pack an emergency bag: We also recommend getting a ready-packed emergency bag or an escape backpack. Don’t just think about emergency documents, but also about clothing and your address book!
Think through extreme situations: If you have the feeling that you could soon end up in an extreme situation, it can help to think about possible scenarios in advance. This way you will be less caught off guard. But beware: You can quickly lose yourself in such thoughts! So you should be careful not to lose touch with reality despite everything and keep reminding yourself that this is just a thought experiment.
Observe your environment: The more you know about your environment, the better you can react to it. So keep your eyes and ears open no matter where you go.
Just knowing you’re prepared can be comforting. If you unexpectedly find yourself in a crisis situation, one thing is particularly important: you will make it out again! Say this phrase like a mantra and before you know it, the crisis will be over!

Methods to reduce stress

Stress is defined as increased physical or mental tension. This causes a certain reaction and can, in extreme cases, damage your health considerably. It is therefore important to recognize emerging stress, nip it in the bud and actively combat it. In this way, you can also strengthen your mental health in the long term.

There are many different methods of training to reduce stress. We focus on what is actually feasible for you:

When stress is imminent: stress can be felt, aggressiveness overcomes you, sweating, and blood pressure rises. There is no burst of stress that you cannot physically feel. So: Pay attention to the signals – when the stress increases, one thing above all helps: physical stress reduction.
Physical activity: The possibilities are manifold. Stress needs an outlet, and the quickest way to relieve stress is to exercise. You can go jogging and stomp your frustration into the ground with every step. Alternatively, you can box a pillow, chop wood, or do some other sporting activity.
Avoid Eating When You’re Stressed: Unless you’re stressed because you haven’t eaten enough, you shouldn’t try to relieve the stress you are experiencing by eating. Eating when you are frustrated can quickly become a habit and, unlike exercise, is not beneficial.
Assess with calm and distance: Once you have gained some distance from the stressful situation, you should sort it out again in a calmer mood and reassess it. Concentrate on finding a solution. Leave your fear behind and focus on finding a way out.
Meditation: For many people, meditation is the ultimate way to reduce stress. There are different forms and approaches – find out more about this on the Internet or from experts.

The seven pillars of resilience

One of the cornerstones of mental health and fitness is resilience. Resilience refers to mental resilience and the ability to survive difficult or stressful life situations without lasting impairments.

In general, it is about comparing the protective factors with the risk factors – the aim is that the factors balance each other out. In this way, you protect yourself from taking stress too much to heart and keep a cool head in the long run, even in dangerous situations.

Various protective factors have been developed for the seven pillars of resilience, which – if they are sufficiently present – strengthen your resilience.

Solution Orientation: When faced with a problem, always focus on finding a solution instead of thinking too much about the problem itself.
Self-Regulation: Get out of the victim role and find out where your personal limits lie. You then stand up for yourself and enforce these limits with your fellow human beings.
Personal responsibility: Realize that you have your life in your hands. All decisions and their consequences must be borne by you. So make sure you don’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable.
Acceptance: You cannot change things that are not in your power. The sooner you become aware of this and accept it, the sooner you can think about possible solutions.
Network orientation: Build up a network that will absorb and support you in times of crisis. Your network may consist of family, friends, or other trusted individuals.
Planning for the future: How prepared are you for what’s to come? At Waldhammer we live according to the motto: whoever fails to prepare prepares for his own failure. Set up your personal emergency plan and pay attention to your surroundings.
Realistic Optimism: Be realistic. You should eliminate “I’ll never make it!” from your vocabulary and instead say to yourself: “I can make it!”. Pessimism slows people down, so let go of the negative mindset and embrace new challenges.

Support other people mentally

Just as you may sometimes wish for support, so do those around you. If you are stable enough yourself and feel able to do so, you can also support others mentally.
Pay attention to your fellow human beings, try to assess their state of mind and ask how your loved ones are doing. A simple eye contact, a smile or a compliment can work wonders.

Words of encouragement or light touches like a gentle caress can also provide comfort. However, the latter can also quickly end in a catastrophe if the person concerned is not used to being touched or associates it with bad things. So ask before offering physical comfort.

An increase in self-esteem can also be achieved through a sense of achievement. A small task can not only provide a distraction but also reward the person concerned with feelings of happiness if successful.

Coping with crises: 10 things you definitely need to bunker now!

Attention: The next crisis is already imminent. You urgently need to prepare now.