Editor's Column
Surviving Disaster
by Kit Brown-Hoekstra
The news is full of stories about disasters large and small, natural and man-made, of people surviving against all odds and dying when they should have lived. For years, search and rescue teams have puzzled over the apparently healthy young adult who dies after being lost, but uninjured, for a day or two. On the other hand, equally puzzling are those who survive and often thrive horrific injuries or davastating losses, despite all odds being against them.
Interestingly, in the cases above, preparation had less to do with their survival than attitude. In many philosophical and religious traditions, there is a belief that "what you focus on becomes stronger".
Studies in neurology support this idea; the human brain is bombarded with millions of inputs every second, and yet, we filter out the noise and notice only what we are paying attention to. We've all had experiences that bear this out:
- buying a new car and noticing that many of the cars on the road are the same color
- watching the YouTube video of kids playing basketball as a bear walks through the scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pK0BQ9CUHk)
- being one of several witnesses and everyone having a different story about the same incident
Experiments in learned helplessness show that about two thirds of the subjects learn to become helpless in an inescapable negative situation. Yet, consistently, about one third never become helpless. Seligman et al. determined that this was due to the way the individual thought about the problem at hand. Viewing the situation as non-personal, non-pervasive, or non-permanent facilitated resitance to learned helplessness and enabled constructive problem-solving. For Star Trek fans, this is the equivalent of the Kobayashi Maru experiment that Kirk solved by finding a loophole in the rules.
So, what does this mean in the current "doom and gloom" atmosphere that insinuates itself into our lives via the media? How can we strengthen our abilities to survive a "worst-case scenario"?
- Tune out and turn it off. That's right. The little button on the remote that says "Power". Push it. It will be OK. Really. Technology and communication should serve our needs, not the other way around.
- Be grateful. Even horrible disasters have some good outcomes. Floods replenish nutrients in the alluvial plains, volcanoes build islands, earthquakes make minerals more accessible, getting laid off means an opportunity to try something new. Even (or perhaps especially) when things look darkest, find 5 things to be grateful for. Some days my list looks like "breathing, my dog, the butterfly that just flew by, sunshine, and rain". If the only thing you can think of is "breathing", write that 5 times. It helps...
- Keep breathing. Take 3 deep, cleansing breaths. Do it now as you read this. Fill your lungs slowly and as fully as you can. Hold it for a second. Now, let it out equally slowly. Repeat as needed, focusing on each breath. This increases your oxygen flow and sends calming signals to your brain. Do this especially when you feel yourself getting upset or angry. It will calm you down.
- Practice constructive problem-solving. Avoid words like "can't", "never", "always". Instead, turn the words into a positive. This really works. By focusing on the positive, your brain starts thinking creatively about how you can do what you need to do. Big problems might seem overwhelming, but you can typically break them down into smaller, more doable chunks.
- Do one thing. When you find yourself fretting about all the stuff you need to do, and feel paralyzed by the immensity of your task, narrow your focus. Pick one action that will help you make a small step toward your goal. Do that task. Then, pick another one. If the task is something that involves a disagreeable task like filing, set a timer for 15 minutes. During those 15 minutes, focus on the task. When time is up, you might find yourself absorbed in the task and want to keep going. That's OK. After time is up, it is also OK to go do something more fun.
- Invest in yourself. When things are stressful, it's easy to forget all those healthy habits you've learned, and to stop exercising, treating yourself well, etc. Keep doing the things that nurture you. They keep you grounded and better able to face adversity. And, no one will ever care as much about your well-being as you do, so treat yourself well.
- Invest in your community. Get to know your neighbors. Volunteer (many small, concrete tasks need to be done; you don't have to give up hours and hours). Pay it forward by being kind and looking for ways to help others. Something as small as a "Hello!" or a smile can make someone's day brighter. You never know how that small gesture will affect the world.
- Learn something new. It really doesn't matter what it is: language lessons, pottery, quantum mechanics, knitting, rock climbing, whatever. You never know how that new knowledge will affect your life. It will certainly change your perspective.
- Read voraciously. Read things outside of your usual fiction genres or work journals. You might find the answer to a problem in a completely tangential or seemingly irrelevant article, book, or website. Plus, it will greatly boost your trivia score.