How to Keep Your Home Healthy and Safe in Time of Crisis

The confusion and complexity of this COVID-19 crisis is truly extraordinary. So, as of this moment in time, at least, you still need to stay home and take all appropriate measures to protect yourself—including your house. Because in the same way that eating right and exercising prevents diabetes and obesity, these are extra measures that will keep us from ending up in a far more drastic survival situation.

Survival is not just a product of luck. We can do far more than we think to improve our odds of preventing and surviving even the most horrendous of catastrophes. It’s a matter of preparation but also of mental conditioning.

Humans are programmed with basic survival skills. When frightened, we get a shot of performance-enhancing hormones, and the blood pumps to our limbs to help us outrun whatever enemy we face. But in modern times, we are hardly aware of such natural skills and most of us do little to understand or develop them.

Firefighters, police trainers — even stockbrokers — have told stories of seeing people freeze under extreme stress. I am one of those! Like deer in the headlights of a car, I have often chosen the wrong survival response in a crisis situation. Rather than choosing to fight in a crisis situation, I have been known to freeze in my tracks — especially when it comes to talking in front if a crowd!

Many flight attendants are now trained to scream at passengers in burning planes, “Get out! Get out! Go!” People respond well to leadership in a disaster, and then they can do remarkable things.

Are you ready to anticipate the strange behaviors that you will encounter at the worst of times?

But for many of us, preparation means little more than crossing our fingers and hoping to live. Regular people can learn from that knowledge, since, after all, we will be the first on the scene of any disaster.

During a crisis, you may not have the time or resources, nor will you be in the right frame of mind to consider everything you need to do.  Here lies the importance of making well-thought out survival plan and storing supplies before disaster hits and you are surrounded by chaos, fighting, freezing or fleeing.  Take precautions now, before it is too late. This includes mental adjustments, as well as physical.

Where to begin

The first, easiest and most logical place to begin is to create a kit or some type of document case that can be grabbed up quickly if you need to evacuate.  This would contain such things as:

• Birth certificates
• Insurance documents
• Medical records
• Marriage license
• Divorce decree
• Government documents such as for Social Security or disability benefits
• Deeds
• Vehicle titles 

Pick an emergency contact and have everyone in your family memorize the phone number.  In case of emergency, each is to call the contact for a full report.

The next step is to stock interim survival supplies in the trunk of your car.  Keep in mind this is short-term emergencies.  This might include:

• A case of bottled water
• Blankets
• Sheet of heavy plastic
• Flashlights and batteries
• Signal flares
• Package of glow sticks
• 100-hour survival candles
• Matches (waterproof, windproof)
• First aid kit
• Crackers
• Beef jerky
• Protein bars
• Powdered milk
• Dried fruits
• Milk
• In a cold climate, insulated coveralls and boots
• Emergency cash
• Toilet paper
• Whistle to signal for help

If you have these two kits compiled, then you have made a step that fewer than 5% of the population has ever thought to make.

A little at a time

This virus deserves to be handled with an ample amount of caution. But constant alarmism is only going to destroy your peace, steal your sleep, and weaken your immune system.

So, instead of watching cable news 24/7, here are a few things that I advise you to do.