Trying to Stay Calm in a Crisis?
Kids need us to be there in their times of crisis.
And we have to know how to cope…
How to function…
And how to just breathe.
Many of us are facing struggles today we never dreamed would be a reality in our lifetime.
And yet, here we are.
How Can We Remain Calm and Not Panic?
One thing that I’ve learned about motherhood is that it’s certainly not smooth sailing all of the time.
Between late-night fevers, hurricanes, a child with special needs, serious medical issues, working in the ministry and general cares of life, I’ve learned that things are going to happen.
Learning to be calm in a stressful situation is important because my children look to me as a beacon for how they’ll react.
Is our entire home going to panic, or will we sail through another unexpected circumstance with grace?
It’s certainly NOT EASY being the calm mom when your instinct is to panic.
I’m naturally an anxious person, and I’ve dealt with real anxiety as a mom.
How Do I Cope During A Crisis?
These 8 tips have helped me stay above water and lead my children without fear in stressful, unexpected situations.
Maybe my heart has skipped a beat or two when I’ve tried to be brave…
Maybe my legs have literally shook as I tried to brave a smile…
But we made it.
And dear mom, may these tips help you through these uncertain days too.
Because our kids need us right now. Our husbands need us too.
And our mom frineds need us too.
You can find an entire community of moms who want to support you through the crisis of a worldwide outbreak right now.
We’re going through this together.
We might as well hold each other’s hands up…virtually of course.
Let’s encourage each other.
And remember, it’s ok to cry…it’s ok to have moments of fear.
Just remember to not let panic swallow you up and completely overwhelm you.
Now, let me share what’s helped me through many different scary situations and what is helping me at this very moment. <3
Coping Helps For Moms — How to Avoid Panic and Stay Calm
Accept the reality of the situation.
Knowledge is power.
In a time of crisis, I try to gather facts and ensure my family is safe.
I try not to rely on my emotions only when I’m in a scary or uncomfortable situation.
As I gather facts, I seek truth from trustworthy sources and even set news alerts that are needed for lifesaving measures, and then…tune out the noise.
Seek peace from God
God can give peace like no other.
He is the God of ALL comfort.
I have called out to Him in dark times and have received miraculous peace!
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. John 14:27
Pray for peace, and seek quiet time first thing.
I’ve found that when I’ve aligned myself with God’s word first thing in the morning, my heart is calmer for the entire day, and that radiates.
One verse God gave me during a time or recent panic, was “I will NEVER leave thee nor forsake thee.”
Precious words I’m clinging to right now.
Give yourself grace
When you’re anxious, or you’re in a situation that makes you feel anxious, you’re more likely to feel stretched thin.
This isn’t the time to take on more projects.
It’s time to give yourself a bit of grace and take a break from things that may not be at the top of the list.
Don’t add things to an already full plate if you feel like you’re in survival mode.
Also, others maybe tense right now too!
Extend grace to them as well.
We all could use an extra smile right now.
Get outside or Take a Soak
My grandmother called me on the phone when I was a young mom and I had a crying preschooler at my knee and a crying preschooler in my arms and I was cooking dinner.
She gave me the best advice.
It’s this: “Honey, if you’re overwhelmed, they probably are too. Change the scenery. Outside or bathtime.”
That advice has never failed.
If you or your children are feeling overwhelmed, change the scenery.
Try to take a walk outside or a warm bath (bubbles help!)
Have a plan
When you’re anxious, having a plan for tomorrow, next week, and even next month will help you.
Plan as far as you can.
If you’re too overwhelmed to plan for next month, start with tiny chunks.
The further you can plan with the information you have now, the more the uncertainty about tomorrow will be relieved.
You may not be able to plan for everything.
Start with the information you have.
Can you meal plan?
Can you plan for what activity you’ll do with your children?
If you’re burned out can you plan a nice vacation for when things look better?
Plan something!
Do the next thing
Sometimes thinking about the next 5 or 10 things on your to-do list, or the things that might happen tomorrow is too scary.
Sometimes it seems like you’re not going to mentally make it to that point.
In that case, tear off the bottom of your list, put it in your pocket, and DO THE NEXT THING.
That’s it.
Don’t worry about the thing after that.
Just do the next thing.
You can do that one thing.
Then we’ll worry about the rest of it.
Deep breathing
Deep breathing is an amazing way to seek calm and stay there.
If you’ve never tried deep breathing before, a simple way is to breathe in through your nose slowly, hold for 3 seconds, and then out through your mouth.
Try it now.
Doesn’t it feel lovely?
Repeat several times when you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
Do a cleaning craze
This one works especially well for me.
Clutter seems to make a stressful situation worse for my whole household, so when I’m trying to be a calm mom, we do a cleaning blitz.
We make this as fun as possible, by setting a timer and seeing who can get their assigned area the cleanest by the time the timer goes off.
I’ve been known to make crowns out of paper towel holders.
By the end, some of the wild energy in a house full of boys is burned off, the stress has turned to laughter, and mom is calm again.
WHAT HELPS YOU BE A CALM MOM DURING A TIME OF CRISIS?
I hope some of these strategies work for you.
As a mom who has dealt with stressful situations, and who has struggled with staying the calm mom at times, I understand what it’s like to learn to adapt in difficult times.
We’re all in this together.
Christy Morris is a Youth Pastor’s wife and mom of three boys from SC.
