How to Stay Calm in a Crisis


Now and then, things will go badly wrong. Someone will be injured, you will get lost, or you will find out that you’ve just lost a considerable amount of money. Your natural reaction now may be to panic. After all, why wouldn’t you get in a fluster? What will you do now that you’ve lost the money? What will happen to your friend or relative who just fainted and is now lying there looking very unwell?

But while panicking is natural, it’s also entirely unhelpful. If this is your response, you will likely make matters worse, not better, and you will potentially cause more problems than you solve.

The best response is to stay calm and robotic. You may appear cold and emotionless, but this is the most efficient and valuable way to react to such a situation. This is how you will help everyone deal with the problem – you can panic, cry or mourn later.

The question, though, is how you can overcome that initial emotional response. How can you keep cool when everything is going awry around you?


Breathe and Slow Down

The first thing to do is step back, breathe, and assess the situation. Your initial urge to rush in or cry is caused by a flood of adrenaline – your fight-or-flight hormone. This can be immensely useful for fueling your reaction speed, increasing muscular strength, and more. Unfortunately, it also suppresses activity in the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain that we use for future planning and reasoning.

So instead, you need to learn to control your breathing and calm yourself down. This will reactivate your ‘rest and digest’ state via your parasympathetic nervous system. So, breathe deeply in through your nose and fill your lungs. You are not in a massive rush. If you rush, you will make matters worse. Remember the adage: less haste, more speed, even in time-critical situations.


Look for the Answer

Now, look for the best solution to the problem at hand. Try to remove yourself emotionally from the situation by looking at it as an outsider. Think of this like an exercise and try to narrow down your actions to the most valuable few options. 

While in this scenario, you might be afraid to act. Each action you consider will likely have the risk of an adverse outcome and might still make matters worse. But once you’ve carefully considered the options and efficiently weighed up the best course of action, the next step is to act. Even if you are uncertain, take positive and decisive action.

Doing this means accepting the possibility that things might go wrong and that it might be your fault. In other words, it means taking responsibility and being willing to shoulder that responsibility if necessary. It means being able and willing to put yourself out on a limb and face the storm that might come.


The Shaolin Warrior

Location: 7440 W Cactus Rd Suite A-9, Peoria, AZ 85381, USA

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