Prepping without Panicking

So… the world is wild right now. There are a lot of unknowns. And I think it’s prudent to be prepared for some bad situations, but I also deal with anxiety and cannot go down the whole right-wing, bunker-building, ammo-stashing prepper route anymore. Maybe you’re in the same boat. So let’s talk about how we can be a little more prepared without losing our minds.

Some helpful hints from my prepper days:

The “two is one; one is none” rule:

I’ve been using this rule for years, and it not only makes my life more convenient, it really helped at the beginning of COVID when there were supply shortages. It works like this: you always keep one backup of items you use regularly. When you open the backup, you restock. Here’s how this worked with COVID: So I always have two boxes of toilet paper: one I’m using out of and my backup. When the first box runs out, I order more and start using my backup. When the new box comes, it replaces my backup. So I had more than a full box of TP when the shortages happened, and was able to share with neighbors who needed it. (BTW, here’s where I get my TP and a $10 coupon!) This applies to groceries, toiletries, medication, pet supplies… anything you use regularly that needs to be rotated so it doesn’t go bad.

Always keep your gas tank half full.

I make it a habit to fill up every week when I get groceries, but I treat a quarter tank like it’s empty, and fill up at about half. Also, charge your cell phone every night.

Daily carry:

Preppers call whatever preps they carry with them each day their “daily carry.” I call it my explorer’s pack, because it sounds more adventurous! Take a look at your purse, briefcase, or backpack… whatever you carry every day. Is there something it needs to be more prepared? I carry my emergency medications, lip balm, sunscreen, nail clippers, a pair of socks, menstrual supplies… anything I might need to handle a small emergency. Take a look at your explorer pack and see if there’s anything you need to add, or anything you need to take out because it’s expired. I also organize mine with little bags, so if I need to transfer to another bag quickly, I can do that. It also makes things easier to find.

Bugging out (with Hobbits!):

I suggest making an evacuation packing list for everyone in your household. We’re going to romanticize this so we don’t feel anxious, so, if Gandalf showed up at your door for an adventure, could you be ready to leave in 10 minutes? Make a 10 minute packing list and post it somewhere easy to grab. You may also want to add a list for if you have longer to prepare. I have my bare minimum 10 minute list, plus a list for if I had an hour or more to pack.

Think about the most likely things that could go wrong for you. Not anything that could happen. Just what is most likely.

For me this list looks something like this:

job loss

sick people at home

unable to get groceries for a couple of weeks (transport strike, illness, etc)

losing electricity

Please note that I did not include the downfall of the government or nuclear apocalypse. There’s only so much I can do here! But I think this is a good start. Take your four or five MOST likely emergencies and only prepare for those. For my list, this would be keeping some soup and gatorade around for sick people. Keeping a well-stocked pantry. Having some things on hand to keep us cool if we lost electricity, and being ready to leave if that lasted a long time.

Let’s talk about security.

I’m not going to go into a whole lot of detail here, but I do want to note a couple of things that may help if you have some anxiety about prepping. I know the “beans, bullets, and bandaids” club loves to talk about how the zombie hoards will come take away their preps, so they need to be armed with an entire arsenal so they can go all Rambo and defend it. But there have been multiple scientific studies showing that when things go bad, people actually band together to help each other. This is called “spontaneous prosocial helping behavior.” So, not to say that there are not still terrible people out there after a disaster, but maybe the world is a little nicer than it’s been made out to be.

With all that said, your best form of security is knowing your neighbors and building a community that supports one another.

I do want to say a little about preparing for a long-term societal shift.

I really think what is going to save people in this kind of event is skills and community. So find a useful skill that interests you and start learning it as a hobby. Think permaculture, gardening, herbalism, animal husbandry, fiber crafts, community organizing, etc. And connect with the people in your community. There’s no use trying to stock up for the end of the world because that will eventually wear out. If it happens, we’ll have to make a new world, and skills will be the most valuable asset. This isn’t something I worry too much about, but if you are a person who does, I highly recommend reading the Monk and Robot series of books by Becky Chambers for a nice inspirational take on post-apocalyptic fiction. I re-read them pretty regularly just to keep my head on straight.

I hope that this gave you some ideas for getting a little more prepared without increasing anxiety. I know I feel better knowing a few little tasks are taken care of to protect my family.