“Self-care” sounds like a spa-day word, the first thing you’d drop at the end of the world. In practice it is the opposite. In long emergencies, the people who last are the ones who keep looking after their bodies and minds, because exhaustion, infection and despair take people down as surely as any disaster. Here is self-care, apocalypse edition: practical, unglamorous and genuinely important.
Look after your body
- Keep clean. Handwashing is the single most effective way to prevent the illnesses that spread through shelters and camps. A basin, soap and a washcloth will keep you surprisingly clean on very little water.
- Look after your feet and teeth. Both are easy to neglect and miserable to lose. Dry socks every day, and keep brushing; a toothache with no dentist is a real crisis.
- Sleep. Sleep deprivation wrecks judgment, mood and immune response. Take turns on watch so everyone gets real rest.
- Eat and drink regularly. Skipped meals and mild dehydration cause headaches, irritability and bad decisions. Ration if you must, but don’t starve yourself to save supplies for later.
- Dress for it. Comfort and function are style now: layers, sturdy shoes and something that makes you feel like yourself.
Look after your mind
Fear, grief, anger, numbness and trouble sleeping are normal reactions to an abnormal situation. Most people recover over time, especially with support. What helps:
- Routine. Regular times for meals, work, rest and sleep give the day a shape when everything else is uncertain.
- Something to do. Having a useful role is one of the strongest protections against despair. Give everyone a job, including children.
- Connection. Talk to people. Share meals. Check on anyone who has gone quiet.
- Limits on bad news. Stay informed, but don’t replay the worst of it all day. Repeated exposure to disaster coverage is linked to more distress.
- Small pleasures. A song, a game, a hot drink, a good book. Our posts on games that need no power and keeping a journal have ideas.
- Humor. Dark jokes are a time-honored survival tool among soldiers, nurses and anyone else who works in hard places.
Look after each other
Disaster responders are trained in something called Psychological First Aid, and its core ideas are simple enough for anyone: help people feel safe, help them meet their practical needs, listen without pushing them to talk, and connect them with others. You don’t need to be a counselor to make someone feel less alone.
Know when to get help
If someone can’t function, can’t stop reliving what happened weeks later, or talks about wanting to die, they need more than a pep talk. In the US, the Disaster Distress Helpline (call or text 1-800-985-5990) offers free, confidential support to anyone affected by a disaster, and you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at any time. Outside the US, your local emergency services can point you to similar support.
What keeps you steady when things go wrong? Tell us in the comments.