Though many of us are lucky to be living in an era of relative peace, devoid of world wars and full-scale conflicts, there are still many other risks threatening our life’s stability. From losing one’s job, to a terrorist attack, or even an extreme weather event, our carefully constructed worlds can easily crumble due to an unexpected event.
Logically, some individuals and families would fare better than others if tragedy was to strike. Those with more connections, close family, and a steady head on their shoulders are more likely to thrive, or at least survive, in the face of such threats.
Though there is little you can do about certain things, like where your in-laws live, you can take steps to make yourself more resilient to crises and disasters, whether personal or wide-spread.
- Always have an Emergency Fund
Though money won’t be able to solve all your problems, it can definitely help in many cases. From not being able to work because of a medical emergency, or have the payout system at work be hacked resulting in a delay in your paycheck, having a nest egg will keep you from panicking and more likely to just deal with the situation as it arises. Most professionals recommend keeping three months’ worth of expenses in a savings fund in case something was to happen. Some would even recommend keeping some of it in cash in case you had no way to access an ATM or the banks’ systems were down, as in the case of a major power outage.
- Have an Emergency Plan
If there was a huge earthquake in the middle of the day, leading to much devastation and taking out power and telecommunication systems, what would you do? How would your kids get home? Do you have an elderly parent far away with no assistance? Before a situation like this arises, sit down with your friends and family and create an emergency plan that would lay out everyone’s actions based on several plausible scenarios. Not only will this give you peace of mind, it will help you and your loved ones stay calm and safe if there was an emergency situation.
- Protect Your Assets
Sometimes disasters can be prevented simply by investing your time and resources into straightforward solutions. For example, if you want to protect your home from being robbed, install good locks and an alarm system. To protect your building from flames, you can purchase and install equipment such as fire extinguishers or fire systems. Sometimes avoiding a crisis situation can be as easy as minimizing your risk to it with preemptive measures.
- Stock some Essentials
No one said you have to have a year’s supply of canned beans in your basement, but it would probably be a good idea to stock some extra jugs of water, unperishable food, fuel, light, batteries, and a steady heat source in your home. You should be able to survive at home for at least 3 days without help from any outside sources like government aid, etc. Those who thought of it before will be able to stay comfortable and safe while others might risk their lives trying to acquire some of these basic essentials if there was a disaster underway.
- Back Everything Up
Though we have mostly been focusing on physical disasters, having your work computer hacked into and completely wiped is no less a crisis situation! It’s important to regularly back up our computers, phones, documents, etc., keeping print copies when necessary for continuity. Schedule regular and frequent backups to servers, cloud services, or hard drives so that you have access to all the information you need as you need it, even if your computer completely breaks down or your phone smashes into a million pieces.
Leading a more resilient life will help you value the comforts of the everyday while being able to cope with unexpected situations as they arise.