Fear Management Tips for Preppers

Dealing with fear is important to discuss and understand because it is probably one of the main reasons many start in preparedness.  It’s not the only reason, and many might not admit it, but something, somewhere concerned you enough to the need to get prepared.  While fear may drive us to action, it’s crucial to explore strategies for overcoming fear in prepping to ensure a balanced approach.

So to reiterate, you shouldn’t stay in that state of fear as you continue on your journey to be better prepared!  You need some fear management tips for preppers!

Understanding Fear in Preparedness

This applies to everyone who is currently prepping.  It might be most relevant to those who are newer to preparedness, but I have heard from preppers who have been prepping for a while and could use more of this information in their life.

And if that is you, you might get a little frustrated with me because you still see the concerns that led you to prepping still out there.  

But those outside forces are not things that you can control anyway.  We should be focused on what we can control and what we can do to mitigate the craziness from impacting us in a way that wrecks our lives!

Fear-based prepping comes into play when we realize how fragile the world around us is.  It could stem from economic turbulence, political upheaval, job loss, health concerns, natural disasters, or just concern over the zeitgeist, which is the spirit of the age. 

Physiological Impact of Fear: The Amygdala and Fight or Flight Response

Fear impacts you by taxing you not just mentally, but physiologically too. Understanding how fear impacts us physiologically is the first step in overcoming fear in prepping.  Fear is based in our amygdala, the part of the brain that we share with many animals.  It is called the lizard brain.  And it is responsible for our fight or flight reflexes.  

When things get too stressful and overwhelming, our response is to leave the situation (flight).  Many people do so when they put their heads in the sand to not deal with the troubles in this world.  They just don’t want their way of living disrupted, including the lives of their families.  

Some fight, where we could consider the place where preparedness falls in, where we are doing something about whatever is causing us to fear.

But again, the problem is when we stay in the fear!  Notice that an animal who is in a fight or flight situation doesn’t always stay there.  We are not supposed to stay in fight or flight or fear all the time.

Practical Fear Management Tips for Preppers

To deal with fear, the prepared should understand and nail down a few things

Ask yourself, “What brought you to preparedness in the first place?”  What was the reason?  Did you deal with that specific thing already?  Have you mitigated the situation?

For example, if you first came to preparedness because you experienced a week-long power outage after a hurricane, have you worked through how you manage that now if it happened again?

If you haven’t, then start doing that now!  It isn’t hard to get this figured out!

If you have, then you can feel proud that you conquered that fear.  Now you might not feel like you did, but you were concerned about a week without power and then you figured that out.  There is no need to stay in fear because of a power outage now!

Now if you are concerned about an EMP or Solar Flare, I’m sorry, you can’t ever get fully prepared for that!  To me, that’s not where you should be focusing on your preparedness.  But I digress.

When you start dealing with your legitimate concerns, plan and prepare to mitigate those concerns.  Your fear levels should decrease and eventually go away!

Moving Beyond Fear: Building Resilience in Preparedness

Fear comes into play when you really haven’t done anything to mitigate your true concerns.  

So for your sanity and quality of life, you need to handle fear and remove what you can from your thoughts.  

Some people are just worriers.  I get that.  But only worrying, doesn’t cause you to change or do something productive.  

Think back to a time when you worried about a big project you needed to get done.  Think about the feeling after you completed the project.  

And, I will speak from experience, many times your worry isn’t even justified!  A lot of time and energy is wasted on fear and worry that could have been put to use somewhere else!

Shifting Mindsets: From Fear to Empowerment

Here is something you should do.  Start writing down the things that you fear.  Put a name and a “face” to it!  Write down the reason why it causes you to fear!

This should be the start or beginning of dealing with your fear.  Because once you know what you’re dealing with, you can start to address it and it doesn’t continue to be this big ugly monster under your bed that you don’t know what to do with!

Conclusion: Embracing a Balanced Approach to Preparedness

Ok. To recap, fear is a driving force behind many individuals’ preparedness, yet it shouldn’t be the sole motivator or a state where one remains stagnant. 

Fear-based prepping often stems from acknowledging the fragility of our surroundings, however, it’s essential to recognize that staying in a perpetual state of fear is counterproductive. By identifying the specific fears driving preparedness and actively addressing them through planning and mitigation strategies, individuals can alleviate anxiety and build resilience. This process involves understanding the root causes of fear, confronting them head-on, and gradually reducing their impact on your daily life. Through proactive measures and a shift in mindset, overcoming fear in prepping is achievable. By embracing fear management tips for preppers, individuals can navigate the uncertainties of preparedness with confidence and resilience.

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