☂️Prepping for emergencies

Bear Grylls shares his No. 1 advice for dealing with disasters

View this email online National Geographic/Ben Simms Friends, Have you done much hoping for the best and preparing for the worst lately?  With climate change-fueled crises like floods and heat waves on the rise and inflation uncertainty, it might feel hard to want to do either. We get that – thinking ahead can often lead to stress and worry, especially when there’s so much scary news out there these days. But disaster can strike at any time. And when up against the odds, it can be easy to panic instead of charge ahead.  Hardship, however, can be conquered with preparation and perseverance. That’s the message of Bear Grylls, adventurer and host of the TV show Running Wild with Bear Grylls. He has spent most of his career navigating the brutal side of Mother Nature, from fording freezing waters in Norway and fending off leeches in Borneo – to sheltering in a camel carcass in the Moroccan Sahara.  Life Kit talked to Grylls about the mindset one needs to survive – be it in the aftermath of a hurricane or in a personal crisis. He told us that the key to pulling through is not a special kind of knife or a stash of dehydrated food, but the right perspective.  Get more survival tips from Bear Grylls here “If I had to choose three things [to bring on any expedition], I would make them a resourceful spirit, a determined heart and a courageous attitude: that you're going to walk toward the difficult stuff and do whatever it takes to get out of that [situation],” says Grylls.  Another fundamental tool to survival – and to life – is getting comfortable with uncertainty and learning to adapt, says Grylls. Tools break, technology fails, plans fall through and it always seems to rain when you least want it to. Staying flexible in the face of crisis isn’t always easy, says Grylls, but there’s also creativity – and even fun – to be found in the challenge.  Listen to the episode Newsletter continues after sponsor message Here at Life Kit, we know that when it comes to dealing with disasters, a solid defense is the best offense.  Here’s a round-up of our top tips for emergency preparedness – from floods to wildfires – and a friendly reminder that it’s never too early to start packing that go-kit. (Positive outlook not included, but strongly encouraged.) 👋“Please Remember What’s First”: Grylls says the basics of survival don’t change, regardless of your disaster situation. This handy mnemonic device – which stands for “Protection, Rescue, Water, Food” – can help keep your priorities straight. Listen to the full episode for more.  🗺️Know what to do when a crisis strikes: Prepare your family for a potential emergency, such as a fire or an earthquake. Set up an evacuation plan and make sure your loved ones know their escape routes. Arrange a place, such as a favorite local landmark, for everyone to meet up. And sign up for local emergency alerts. Our episode on preparing for wildfires can help you think through other safety precautions, and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency has a great starter kit to help you create a family emergency plan, too. 🎒Pre-pack an emergency bag with all your essentials. This episode on prepping for hurricane season says your go-bag, as it’s called, should include anything that would be deemed critical not only for survival but for everyday usage. Think: cash, chargers, spare batteries and supplies for kids like toys or diapers.  🌊“Turn around, don’t drown”: Climate change is making inland flooding more common. This phrase reminds us if you find yourself in a flood, don’t try to forge ahead. If you’re driving and see even a little bit of water in the road in front of you during a flood warning, it could become dangerous quickly – so turn the car around instead of trying to go through. Listen for more tips here. 💰Start that emergency fund: Disasters are expensive. Save for potential expenses like home repair, medical bills or major car fixes by creating an emergency fund – which, as we learned from our episode on dealing with a financial crisis – should be separate from your regular savings account so you're not tempted to dip into it for non-emergencies. 🤝Help others in a crisis: Disaster doesn’t always strike in our own backyard, but it can be tough to know what to do when bad things happen to those in our community. This episode on the art of showing up for people is a great resource, and suggests that when a crisis hits, offer people some concrete options for how you can help: Can I start you a meal train? Take the kids off your hands for a few hours? Just listen to what you’re going through? Wishing you a safe and leech-free weekend, friends. (Unless you’re into them – you do you!)   – Andee Tagle, Life Kit producer    Access Sponsor-Free Episodes Want to support our show? Try a subscription to Life Kit+ and get all the tips and tricks you love with none of the sponsor interruptions! Learn more at plus.npr.org/lifekit.  Learn More 💡 What's a hack that's changed your life?  💡   Send us a note at lifekit@npr.org or leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823. Your life tip could appear on an upcoming episode of Life Kit or in our video series on Instagram! Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? 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