Tips to cope during and after an emergency event
In the wake of the recent flooding in New Zealand, Sir John Kirwan, Dr Fiona Crichton, and special guest Sarah Page share practical strategies to cope during and after a crisis.
In a crisis, talking about how you’re feeling and making a plan are two powerful coping strategies.
That’s exactly what Groov Founder Sir John Kirwan and Groov VP Clinical Dr Fiona Crichton did in their webinar Weathering the storm: Tips to cope during and after an emergency event.
Sir JK and Dr Fiona were joined by special guest Sarah Page – Founder and CEO of The Kindness Collective – who provides Auckland families with food and essentials all year round.
The trio covered:
What to do if you’re feeling stressed or anxious right now
How to ask for help
Ways to support others
Dr Fiona’s WALK & TALK acronym for emergencies
Watch the webinar recording for the full conversation or read our top takeaways below.
What to do if you’re feeling stressed or anxious right now
It’s normal to feel these emotions in a crisis. One of the most helpful things you can do is acknowledge your emotions. State them out loud, share with a friend, write them down – allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling.
Other strategies for when you’re feeling stressed or anxious include:
Focus on the things you can control and let go of the things you can’t (the Worry Map in the Groov app is excellent for this)
Give yourself grace – acknowledge that sometimes really terrible things happen and it’s not your fault or something that you did
Take slow, deep breaths to help stand down the amygdala (the ‘lookout’ part of the brain that triggers fight or flight)
Rest and take breaks as often as you can – to sleep, eat, breathe and just be
Notice small, good things in the world around you to remind your brain that good things still happen
How to ask for help
Many people need help in the aftermath of an emergency event. You’re not alone. It’s OK to ask for help and lean on your community.
Sarah acknowledges that asking for help can be really difficult, especially for Kiwis.
“We don’t like to ask people for help. We don’t want to tell people that we’re in pain or we’re suffering or we’re depressed or we’re lonely. We just seem to have this culture where we don’t reach out as much as we should. I’m guilty of that myself!” says Sarah.
It can be challenging to push through these uncomfortable feelings, but please know there are so many people out there who want to help and are here to support you. Start by reaching out to at least one other person – a friend, family member, manager, or work colleague.
If you’re in need of immediate support, please free call or text 1737 if you’re in New Zealand or free call 1800 512 348 if you’re in Australia. These support lines are staffed by trained counselors and open 24/7.
Ways to support others
If you have capacity, there are several ways you can support your community during the aftermath of an emergency.
Donate to community organisations. Grassroots community organisations such as the Kindness Collective are often one of the first on-the-ground during emergencies. Approach organisations in your neighbourhood and ask what they need most right now.
Check in on others. Get in touch with friends, family, colleagues, and neighbours. Reassure people you’re here to help and lend a listening ear.
Heed official advice. In emergency situations, authorities may ask people to help by avoiding certain roads, minimising water or electricity usage, or even staying home.
Keep checking in long after the emergency. Once the initial danger has passed, the emergency may fall out of news cycles – but people will be recovering for a long time. Look for ways to support ongoing recovery efforts.
Dr Fiona’s WALK & TALK acronym for emergencies
For more coping strategies during times of crisis, Dr Fiona has developed the WALK & TALK acronym.
Read Dr Fiona’s full blog post about the WALK & TALK acronym for a comprehensive guide to coping during emergencies.