Tips for Emotional Preparedness

woman holding hands of another person

Introduction

Challenges and loss can impact us physically, emotionally, socially, mentally, and spiritually. President Russell M. Nelson expressed this concern about our preparedness: “I urge you to take steps to be temporally prepared. But I am even more concerned about your spiritual and emotional preparation” (“Embrace the Future With Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 74).

It is important to be emotionally prepared for all of life’s challenges, including:

• Emergency situations (natural disasters, pandemics, political turbulence, war, crime, and so on)

• Personal crises (job loss, death of a loved one, health challenges, and so on)

• Life transitions (retirement, parenthood, relationship changes, and so on)

• Everyday situations (anxiety, work stress, mood changes, family difficulties, and so on)

Emotions are a part of the human experience; they aren’t inherently good or bad. One way to weather difficult emotions is to prepare to face adversity and stressful situations before they arise.

The following tips can help you prepare emotionally to face difficult situations as well as general life challenges.

Learn Skills to Manage Difficult Emotions

A critical incident or disaster may provoke overwhelming feelings of fear, anger, sadness, worry, and anxiety. Learn and practice different ways to manage emotions during difficult times. Some strategies you might consider:

• Create an emotional first aid kit to use when you are feeling overwhelming emotions. This kit may include wellness reminders, such as photos, comforting objects, materials (blankets, clothes), music, books, journals, to-do lists, goals, or other supportive items that fit your needs. You may also consider recommendations from this Feelings First Aid Kit.

• Practice a variety of healthy coping strategies to soothe emotional distress (see Facing Challenges: A Self-Help Guide for suggested strategies). Practicing skills to manage these emotions now can help you be prepared.

Keep in mind that some resources used for coping may not be available during an emergency. If you are using medications now, talk with your doctor about ways to access them during an emergency.

For additional skills, see “Ways to Stay Calm in an Emergency” (DisasterReady [video, July 5, 2022], 6:26).

Build Relationships

Healthy connections contribute to emotional well-being. Reach out and connect with others. You can start by strengthening family and marriage relationships (see Strengthening Marriages and Families). When connecting with family members or loved ones is not possible, reach out to those who are nearby such as neighbors, work colleagues, faith groups, peers, and communities.

Make Plans Around Safety and Communication

It is common to worry about loved ones in an emergency. Create an emergency communication plan to determine how you will reach each other in a disaster. At times, emergencies or disasters separate friends and family from each other. Consider creating a plan to reconnect after a disaster. The Communication and Gathering Plan Activity in your Area Temporal Preparedness Guide can help you make a plan. This can help ease concerns about your loved ones’ safety and facilitate supportive connections.

Identify Trusted Sources

Keeping up with the latest news is often necessary, but too much news media can have an adverse effect on mental health. Identify reliable sources of information, and plan to limit news and social media communications that are distressing or unreliable (see General Handbook: Serving in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 38.8.40). Safe, supportive, and reliable information is essential when you are experiencing a personal, family, or community crisis.

Identify Your Strengths and How You Can Help

Prepare to contribute during an emergency and assist with recovery by sharing your skills and strengths. Some people help by providing physical aid, whil others provide spiritual or emotional care. You can check at JustServe.org to find ways to volunteer now and during a crisis (see Mosiah 18:9 and Discussion Guide: How Can I Minister to Others During a Crisis?). Even when you feel vulnerable or overwhelmed, you can use your talents and strengths to help.

Consider Professional Assistance

While some individuals can build their emotional resilience and recover from adversity and stress on their own, others may need additional help. If you have experienced trauma or are struggling with ongoing depression, anxiety, or other serious emotional challenges, consider seeking professional treatment. Counselors can help you process your experiences, help you work through unhelpful thoughts, provide advice on coping strategies, and prepare you to make good decisions for your mental and social well-being. For more information, see “What Is Counseling and How Can It Help Me” (DisasterReady [video, July , 2022], 7:03). In some situations, you may also want to seek medical help to manage physical symptoms of ongoing mental health challenges.

Remember to Find Hope

Nurture realistic optimism and hope. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught that “because the Restoration reaffirmed the foundational truth that God does work in this world, we can hope, we should hope, even when facing the most insurmountable odds” (“A Perfect Brightness of Hope,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 83).

When heavy adversity hits, it is common to feel that your world is falling apart. Prepare now by strengthening your hope. See “Hope” (in Gospel Topics) and “President Russell M. Nelson on the Healing Power of Gratitude.”

See additional “Temporal Preparedness Resources”