One of the hardest things to get in order for us women is our mental state.  When thinking of how to prepare ourselves for a catastrophe, we also often worry and become mentally overloaded thinking about everything from our children and what they might need to our dog and what he might need.  Then, before we know it, our thoughts are spiraling out of control.

So how do we cope with making sure we remain mentally strong and “in the moment” while our mind is reeling and trying to prepare us for a bleak future and the safety of our families? Very personally and very diligently.

Related article: Mental Preparedness: The Mental Gymnastics Will Sharpen the Mind

As we mentioned in a previous article written for female preppers, not one of us is alike.  This is not only in reference to our personal “female anatomy” but our mental processes too.  Therefore, preparing yourself to overcome the mental strain may be different for some, but we can all take similar actions to make sure we are as strong as we can be!

You will need a level head and you will need to learn to remain calm while knowing you may have to defend yourself or your children.  That’s a lot of mental strain and that often shows up as stress, which is damaging to our bodies too. But there are ways to get through this, we promise!

PRAYER OR MEDITATION

I’ve found that those who are more religious prefer to use the term “prayer” while those who don’t subscribe to a religion like the term “meditation”, but both offer very similar mental benefits.  The goal is to just calm the mind.  Realize we don’t have to drive ourselves nuts trying to make sure we get everything perfect.  The truth is, it won’t be perfect because we aren’t even sure what exactly could be the cause of the next catastrophe: nuclear war? Economic collapse? Societal uprising? A food crisis? Or a mixture of them all?  It’s really impossible to say, to be fair, so let’s try to set aside a small amount of time every day for ourselves to quite those thoughts and be thankful for what we have now. Take the time to pray or meditate on the things you do have, and forget about what you still want or need in order to feel “prepped” for the next event.

Praying and meditating go a long way to get our mental state where we need to be to balance being wives, mothers, breadwinners, and preppers. Oftentimes, even women who don’t take on the added task of prepping for disaster feel overwhelmed, and it is OK! As long as we make sure we are taking ample time to de-stress and reconnect with our family or friends. Praying and meditation bring a sense of peace in a world that is increasingly moving more quickly and changing before our eyes.

Related article: 9 steps preppers should take to mentally prepare for a major disaster

FIND A COMMUNITY (SUCH AS THIS ONE AT READY NUTRITION) OF LIKE MINDED WOMEN

Understand that not everything will go perfectly, but that there are others out there willing to give you free advice or a quick hug (even if it’s only digitally.) Know that you are not alone! All of us are struggling in some way mentally, whether we have a daughter that may “come of age” and experience her first period during an economic downturn or are pregnant and don’t know what we will possibly need as our baby ages in unstable times.

A community will give you a sense of belonging and help you hash out any concerns you have.  When I have mental blocks, I actually just take the time to sit with my older neighbor and ask him what he would do, or how he would prepare.  As a fellow prepper who has lived on this Earth over 35 years longer than I have, he has invaluable insight that I truly know I can only get from him. Talking things out is often not only a calming way to come to a solution, but it gives us the knowledge that we really aren’t in this alone.

COME TO TERMS WITH THE UNDESIRABLE

Realizing you’ll probably have to defend your stash of food or water from hungry people, or knowing you may need to be more secretive and be able to hide some of your things and coming to terms with all of this is a huge step. Not one of us wants to hurt someone else, but when the SHTF, decisions about your survival and the survival of your children or spouse will likely need to be made.  Maybe, for example, you’re afraid of a lot of blood, but it’s important to know why and work toward mentally overcoming these things so you can be at your best during the worst times. If someone gets wounded, you’ll need to be able to cope with that, right?

This is the hardest part, I think because it involves acceptance.  We have to learn to accept that there are things we cannot do anything about, but our preparedness can help make those things an inconvenience as opposed to an apocalyptic scenario.

And here’s a little personal peace of mind from us: Know that by just preparing and getting your own family outfitted with backup plans and storing some food and water will help you in the long run.  It’s better to have it and never need it, than to need it and not have.  You’re already doing better than those who think there’s no reason to have an extra dollar in the bank or an extra can of beans in your pantry.

Read previous articles in this series:

Hygiene and Feminine Needs When Supplies Are Running Short

How To Handle Birth Control After The SHTF