We all like to think that we are someone who can be depended on, someone who is able to provide a helping hand or, at the very least, make sure that we’re not in the way. However, when a crisis hits, a lot of us can find ourselves confused or even paralyzed at the thought of having to help and don’t know where to begin. It can be a traumatic experience to witness an emergency and be unable to help. So what can you do?
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Be Able To Handle Your Own Emotions
When an emergency arises, panic, fear, and adrenaline can flood the system. In some cases, this rush can be too much and we can enter a sort of state of paralysis as a result. We can freeze. Learning to avoid getting overwhelmed by your emotions via breathing exercises or practicing mindfulness on a more daily basis can help you get control of yourself so that you’re better able to follow instructions and be helpful. Taking deep breaths during stressful situations also can help to center you. When you focus on your breathing, you can stay present, as opposed to worrying about the future. It can help to bring your blood pressure down, as well.
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Be Ready To Identify and Follow Instructions
It might sound like you’re playing a passive role rather than being actively helpful, but having a clear chain of command, or something resembling it, in an emergency, can ensure that there is order and less panic when it comes to a crisis. If there is someone who is confidently giving instructions and has training in coping with emergency situations, you should be ready to listen to them and, if possible, help facilitate their instructions. Making the way clear for professionals who might arrive on the scene by ensuring the doorway or pathway to any victims or dangerous situations in an emergency is important, as well.
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Train Yourself To Be An Asset
If no one else is able to take charge of specific needs during an emergency, then being the person with the skills and practice to act can make you a key player and a huge help. One of the most important skills you can learn in this regard is first aid, and there are sites like CPR Certification Now that make it so much easier for you to become a competent and useful person in an emergency. Finding your role to play can take a lot of the stress off of other people. You may even save a life.
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Have Plans Where You Can
If you are on the scene of an emergency outside of the home or in an environment that you are not familiar with, then following the instructions of trained individuals there is important. However, you can make sure that you’re better able to handle emergencies at home by preparing an emergency plan with the help of sites like Safewise. Knowing the location of your important resources, such as first aid kits or fire extinguishers, and planning things like escape routes ahead of time can help you immediately snap to action when a crisis strikes. Consider doing drills with your family members so that they, too, are prepared.
Depending on the type of crisis that you are dealing with, sometimes you can provide practical help, and sometimes you can’t. At the least, you can ensure that you’re able to manage your own emotions and avoid being a burden with the tips above.
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This article originally appeared on Marialeonardolsen.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
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