Ever noticed how everyone gets religion about preps when a hurricane is hours away? Imagine what will happen if the banks close or the grid goes down or the trucks stop running – even for a few days. Sheer panic will ensue as groceries and gas disappear. You run the risk of paying exorbitant prices or not getting anything or being injured by a mob. During hurricane Sandy in 2011 they had to post state police at gas stations to keep the peace.
Proactive Preparedness: Taking Action Before Crisis
The trick is to get motivated and take action in advance – while we have access to a functioning economy. There is a quote attributed to John Lennon: “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” It’s easy for all the “normal” aspects of your life to take priority – job, kids, relationships, home, pets, and getting some time for rest and recreation. It’s very common to have good intentions but never quite find the time or money to act. And besides, things have been going sideways for quite a while and we can still buy stuff – right?
The Challenge of Normalcy Bias
The feeling that things will not change substantially in the near future is an example of Normalcy Bias. A more formal definition is "...the tendency to underestimate the likelihood or impact of a negative event". Back to hurricane Sandy - people we know in the NY area refused to even top off their car gas tank - not expecting it to amount to anything. The day after the storm hit, with power down, we called to ask if they wanted us to bring them a generator that was still available in our area. They declined, only to call back after a week with no power (and 40 degree temperatures at home) to see if we could bring that generator. Needless to day, there were none east of the Mississippi by that time.
Avoidance Coping: The Risk of Ignoring Threats
People can also get sidetracked by feeling that it’s paranoid to spend money on preparations. Or they intentionally avoid thinking about what could go wrong since it makes them uncomfortable. This latter issue is called Avoidance Coping – “... managing stressful circumstances by disengaging ... driving attention away from it rather than addressing the problem directly." It is a form of self-protection - like staying away from negative people. Avoidance only works, however, for situations where the negative event will not occur without your presence. If the event is independent of your behavior - then you are only kidding yourself by "putting it out of your mind." You may actually be more stressed knowing something is wrong and you're not taking action. Pease of mind is achieved by facing problems and taking appropriate action.
Starting Your Preparedness Journey
Start by simply considering what would happen if you could not get to the store or the power went out for several days. This is the typical natural disaster scenario and gets you on the path to having some stored food and water, the ability to cook and heat without electricity and some means of self-defense. Once you’ve gotten this far – extend your timeframe out to several weeks or months. For these longer duration events – you will need skills and resources to be self-sufficient / sustainable. This is where a garden, livestock, solar power, wood heat and other approaches kick-in.
But it all starts with taking that first step. Face the reality of an uncertain future. Take control of your thoughts and emotions. Take whatever actions your job, family, finances, and location will allow.
You can find much more in my book “Thriving in Times of Chaos” available on Amazon. It provides time-phased actions to become more sustainable in any location along with links to additional information and useful products. A more complete description of the book along with a PDF version are available on my website.
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