PSYCHOLOGICAL PREPARATION FOR SURVIVAL SITUATIONS
As you already know from the previous page, you are going to experience an assortment of thoughts and emotions while fighting for survival in wilderness. These can work for you, or they can work to your downfall. Fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, guilt, depression, and loneliness are all possible reactions to the many stresses common to wilderness survival. These reactions, when controlled in a healthy way, can help you to increase likelihood of surviving. If you cannot control these reactions, they can bring you to a standstill. Instead of rallying your internal resources to fight against survival situations, you may listen to your internal fears. In such case, you may experience psychological defeat long before you physically succumb. Your survival will be over before it truly begins. When in a survival situation, remember that fighting for survival is natural to everyone; being unexpectedly thrust into the life and death struggle of survival is not. Don't be afraid of your 'natural reactions to this unnatural situation. Prepare yourself to rule over these reactions so they serve your ultimate interest – staying alive.
Read through possible ways in which you can psychologically prepare yourself for survival situations. Methods described below will help you develop a survival attitude. Some of them prove to be beneficial even in everyday life.
Prepare for survival – Know Yourself
Observe yourself in various situations. How do you behave. Ask you friends and family how they see you. They may often notice things you do not see. Strengthen your strong qualities. Notice your weak sides – working on them may be crucial for your survival, it will also generally strengthen you as a person, what is beneficial not only in survival situation but also in everyday life.
Prepare for survival – Anticipate your fears
Once in a survival situation, do not try to pretend you have no fears. Acknowledge them, name them and use them to work for you. If controlled, your fears help you survive. They push you to fight more. Imagine things that would frighten you most in a survival situation. Think how you would have to work to overcome them. Train skills that would be necessary. The goal is not to eliminate the fear, but to build confidence in your ability to function despite your fears. Apply this method to everyday life and try it out.
Prepare for survival – Be Realistic
Don't be afraid to make an honest appraisal of situations. See circumstances as they are, not as you want them to be. Reality may not be pleasant, but acknowledging it will help you decide on appropriate actions. Keep your hopes and expectations within the estimate of the situation. When you go into a survival setting with unrealistic expectations, you may be laying the groundwork for bitter disappointment. Follow the adage: 'Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.' It is much easier to adjust to pleasant surprises about one's unexpected good fortunes than to be upset by one's unexpected harsh circumstances.
Prepare for survival – Adopt a Positive Attitude
Positive attitude helps every time. You will need it when in wilderness survival. Things may seem very bad at first sight. Learn to see the potential good in everything. In everyday life try to find something good about every bad situation. It may sometimes be hard, but by trying not only will you develop a positive attitude but also improve your imagination, which is an absolute must while in survival.
Prepare for survival – Train
If you get a chance – train survival techniques. There is nothing better than real life experience. Read about survival. This Outdoor Survival Guide gives you a very detailed course. Once in wilderness think how would you put your knowledge to use.
Prepare for survival – Learn Stress Management Techniques
Wilderness survival situations are extremely stressful. Learn stress management techniques. They will help you in wilderness as well as in everyday life.
That is all about psychology of wilderness survival. You now know what you can expect once in survival situations and how to deal with it from a psychological perspective. Explore our Outdoor Survival Guide to find many more skills that will prove useful in survival situations across the world.