How to Cope With a Crisis

When you are in the midst of a crisis, it may seem impossible to deal with it. We all develop coping skills throughout our lifetimes, but when dealing with a crisis we may not know what to do. Here are a few helpful tips to help you cope with a crisis.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Adopt the "one day at a time" attitude. Take one problem at a time and one day at a time. Sometimes looking at the big picture during a crisis will make it overwhelming. Small steps, taken one at a time, will keep the crisis in perspective.
2. Talk to a trusted friend, counselor or clergyman. Sometimes just talking will help you see the problem differently and you may be able to come up with a solution. Ask the advice of experts and listen carefully to what they say. If the advice of experts seems appropriate for your own crisis, take the advice.
3. Maintain a normal routine if possible. Just the "normalcy" of everyday living can help you deal with a crisis. Mundane tasks, like washing dishes or cutting the lawn, can also help you deal with a crisis. Mundane tasks and normal routines help your brain to understand that normal life continues despite the crisis, and adds a sense of security.
4. Stay physically and socially active during the crisis. Helping others in need also keeps your mind off your problem, at least while you are helping them. Join a group discussion and talk to others; just listening to others will help you cope by learning how others cope.
5. Recognize that you can't change the past. Thinking about what you should have done will only make the crisis longer for you. When you think about the past, force yourself to think about now. Deliberately change your thoughts.
6. Relax before bedtime with relaxation techniques, by taking a walk after dinner or watching a funny movie. Stay away from stressful news events so you can wind down. If you have difficulty falling asleep, try listening to soothing music. Soothing music or the sounds of nature helps you relax enough to fall asleep.
7. Seek medical help if you are suffering from medical problems. Stress or a crisis can cause many symptoms. Although the symptoms are brought about by stress, they are real symptoms and can become a real medical problem.
8. Weigh your options about how to handle the crisis. Once you've made a decision about what to do, do it. This is a positive step and a positive action. Once you've stepped into action, it will be much easier to deal with the crisis.