disaster 5th 1108_5th ed 2011 - Homeland Security and Emergency ...

Deal with it - Recognize your own feelings so you can deal with them
properly and responsibly.
Talk or not - Talking to others can help relieve stress and help you realize
you are not alone… other victims are struggling with the same emotions,
including your own family. And don’t leave out the little ones … let them
talk about their feelings and share your feelings with them. But don’t force
anyone to talk about their feelings since they might cope better by keeping
their thoughts private.
Accept help - Realize that the people who are trying to help you want to
help you so please don’t shut them out or turn them away.
Time out - Whenever possible, take some time off and do something you
enjoy to help relieve stress… and do something fun with the whole family
like a hike, a picnic, or play a game.
Rest - Listen to your body and get as much rest as possible. Stress can run
you down so take care of yourself and your family members.
Slow down - Don’t feel like you have to do everything at once and pace
yourself with a realistic schedule.
Stay healthy - Make sure everyone cleans up with soap and clean water
after working in debris. Also, drink lots of clean water and eat healthy
meals to keep up your strength. If you packed vitamins and herbs in your
Disaster Supplies Kit, take them.
Work out - Physical activity is good for releasing stress or pent-up energy.
Hug - A hug or a gentle touch (holding a hand or an arm) is very helpful
during stressful times.
They’re watching you - Kids look to adults during a disaster so your reactions
will impact the kids (meaning if you act alarmed or worried – they’ll
be scared, if you cry – they cry, etc.)
Stick together - Keep the family together as much as possible and include
kids in discussions and decisions whenever possible.
Draw a picture - Ask your kids to draw a picture of the disaster to help you
understand how he or she views what happened.
Explain - Calmly tell your family what you know about the disaster using
facts and words they can understand and tell everyone what will happen
next so they know what to expect.
www.itsadisaster.net or call 1-888-999-4325
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