One of the things that commonly happens to people is they become inundated with news, viewpoints and other media. They become inundated to the extent that either A: They “overprep”
or
B: They give up.
Folks, when you’re prepping, have a plan. Don’t take too big of a bite, even though you see how much you have to do. Don’t become overwhelmed by everything. Take your time, and do it right.
Mindset for preppers is critical, and it’s part of the prep lifestyle. We need to realize how the body and mind react to stress, and how those reactions figure in our daily lives and interactions with family, friends, and colleagues. It’s all too easy, as many of us that have been doing this awhile see, to let preps take over your life. Unfortunately, that usually leads to issues within family or job. So approach prepping with an eye to the long haul, don’t just jump into the deep end. Take a look at the Capability Checklist – note how it takes you through basics first, and then builds on those basics. Focus on the basic goals, or, if you’ve already gotten those done, then start working on the others. Note that it’s ok to take a break too – if it’s too overwhelming, take some time off. Do this with the knowledge that you’re already better off than most of the folks around you!
Matter of fact, sometimes it’s prudent to just turn the TV off, don’t listen to the radio, ignore the newspaper, and go smell the roses. Take a walk in a nice area. Go see a movie. Plan a vacation. You get the idea…take a danged break sometimes!
Another issue that we see quite a bit is tunnel vision. Everyone, and it might be more critical for preppers, needs to have some kind of backup and a sympathetic ear or three around when times are stressful. For many of us, this will be on one of the many survival forums out there, and for some of us, we’ve actually got networks of like minded folks we can actually talk to. We need to have someone that’s in the same long term prep mindset, to back us up. Someone to bring us back to a realistic viewpoint when we start getting tangled up in ideas or projects that dominate our time a bit too much.
It’s yet another argument for developing that network of friends.
-Greg
