How to keep calm in a difficult situation

Occasionally things go terribly wrong. Someone gets hurt, you become disorientated or you realise that you have recently lost a large sum of money. Your natural instinct might be to panic now. So why wouldn't you have a nervous breakdown? What are you going to do with the money now that you've lost it? What will happen to your friend or relative who has just fainted and seems to be terribly ill?

Panic is normal, but it is also completely counterproductive. If you react this way, you will make the situation worse rather than better, and you may end up causing more problems than you solve. The best course of action is to remain cool and robotic. You may seem dispassionate and cold, but this is the most efficient and effective way to respond to a situation like this. You may panic, cry or grieve afterwards, but this will help everyone deal with the problem.

The challenge, however, is how to overcome this initial emotional reaction. How can you keep a cool head when everything around you is going wrong?

Calm down and take a deep breath.

The first step is to take a step back and take a few deep breaths before you assess the problem. A burst of adrenaline - your fight or flight hormone - causes the first instinct reaction to kick in immediately. This can be very useful for improving reaction time, muscle strength and other things. Unfortunately, it also reduces activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for planning and thinking about the future.

Instead, you should concentrate on controlling your breathing and relaxing. Your parasympathetic nervous system will restore your 'rest and digest' state. So breathe deeply through your belly and let it fill your lungs. You are not in a great hurry. You will only make the situation worse if you act hastily.

Search for the solution.

Now look for the most effective solution to the problem at hand. By looking at the event from the outside, you can try to distance yourself emotionally from it. Think of this as an exercise where you have to reduce your alternatives to the most favourable ones. In this situation, you may be reluctant to act. Any option you consider will almost certainly have a negative consequence and may even make the situation worse. However, once you have carefully analysed your options and efficiently thought through the best course of action, the next step is to simply act.

Act positively and decisively, even if you are unsure. This also means accepting that things can go wrong and that you may be to blame. In other words, you need to take responsibility and be prepared to shoulder it if necessary. It means that you are able and willing to face the storm that is coming.