Survival toolkit for a looming disaster

One question that lingers in our minds is whether or not we are going to survive the Covid-19 disaster that has left a trail of devastation in its wake. Even the bravest among us are wondering at their chances of survival.

What is particularly disturbing is what would happen to us, our families, and our citizens. More worrying is that we can’t run away for treatment in the developed nations, which are presently almost bowing down at the weight of the catastrophe.

Disasters such as Covid-19 have a way of overwhelming us with trepidation and rendering us hopeless. In this state of mind, we might become so distressed in fear of danger that we may become paralysed and unable to act appropriately.

So how do we prepare ourselves for survival? Is there any way we can be psychologically prepared to survive the devastation that might be ahead of us?

Psychologists argue that preparedness for looming disaster may reduce symptoms of distress. After many studies on survivors of natural catastrophes, it is notable that some of these individuals have personal attributes that distinguish them from others. One such characteristic is their perceived sense of control in a given situation. This is referred to as self-efficacy and has been related to other attributes such as resilience or hardiness.

Self-efficacious individuals have a strong sense of survival due to their strong coping skills.

They are more likely and ready to participate in self-enhancing behaviour compared to other people.

They seem to get around things even at the darkest hour when everyone else seems overwhelmed by the disastrous event. They feel part of solution providers, as opposed to being part of the problem. They make small contributions to what is going on around them. Their central factor is decisiveness.

In the face of Covid-19, for example, these individuals have started thinking about their opportunities at survival. They might have stored up enough dry foods to carry them through the lifespan of the disaster. They are following the rules such as hand washing and sanitising. They are safeguarding their children against any likelihood of contamination. They have become adept at social distancing, and follow the guidelines offered by the experts.

Self-efficacious individuals focus on thriving. They can silence the myths and noise around them and focus only on the important. They are keen on watching and maintaining their best chances of survival.

For them, there is no extra time for wasting to “see what might happen”. No. Instead, the rules are at play and there is no moment to lose.

People with this characteristic have likely shifted their parenting style into the authoritarian style given the magnitude of the pandemic. Authoritarian parenting operates within clear and often draconian rules of operation for the family members. For them, sanitising is a ritual that must be done, and there is no exception against the rule. There is no bargain about it, it has to be implemented.

And as long as Covid-19 is still spreading, we must map out our survival and that of our families. It is not realistic to wait for the government to help you survive because it cannot reach 48 million Kenyans at the same time.

Instead, go ahead and get busy in sharpening your survival toolkit.