How do you stay calm in the midst of the hurricane? I mean, figuratively.

[raccoon]

I really admire people like Sully who remain so unruffled.

[MiddleFingerMom]

1. Humor has helped.

.
As a medic in the Army, I was as young as 18 and 'the responsible one'
in a number of literally life-and-death situations. By myself, without
conscious thought I think I realized "if not you, who" and managed to
stay calm and efficient while I needed to. When the crisis had passed,
I would go off by myself so no one could see the sometimes violent
shakes I would get.
.
MASH was fairly true to real life -- when working with someone else,
we would crack jokes to distance ourselves -- sometimes ordinarily
very sick and macabre jokes... but they worked.
.
In no way did we take our work lightly; we just tried not to be
overwhelmed by the gravity with which we were dealing.
.

[Brickbat]

2. I go into robot mode.

I focus on solving whatever the problem is, and only that. If someone is being emotional or hysterical, they are out of the equation because they can't help solve the problem. Managers and co-workers comment on this part of me all the time. I'm not sure exactly HOW I do it, because I'm generally a very emotional person. But if something needs to be solved, or if there's a crisis, or whatever, I block out everything else and zone in on it.

[AngryAmish]

8. same thing

[cloudbase]

3. People generally revert to their training.

Practice, practice, practice.


(This from a pilot who has made an off-field landing)

[Generic Brad]

4. One can only scream so long before going hoarse

That's how I do it. I work myself hoarse. Silence is often misinterpreted as calm.

[old mark]

5. In really serious situations, I become calm and reasoning, trying to get things done right

and help to ease the situation.

I just get upset at the everyday small shit, yell and carry on for a minute, then forget about it.

I don't "do" anything special, it's just the way I have always been.

mark

[dropkickpa]

6. Is it the the kind that

ROCKS YOU???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw_Lf-JhdSU

[BOSSHOG]

7. We rode out Katrina

in a very safe building. The Eye of the hurricane went right over us moving southwest to northeast. Very scary situation. Mostly remained calm but was thinking about our house the whole time (we were about 25 miles from home.) Got home two days later, we had lost lots of trees but just a little bit of damage to the house.

I also served in a combat zone, a tour which included a terrorist attack. During the immediate crisis I was very calm, but after the danger (allegedly) had past and I had a private moment, I was very despondent.

[katkat]

11. what's the difference between a terrorist attack on the military and a military attack?

just asking.

[Deep13]

9. Hasn't happened since the 1980s when I lived in MA.

Staying calm wasn't a problem. I was driving around looking at the damage. A hurricane is just a blizzard I don't need to shovel.

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. Mindful breathing exersizes ala the Anapansati Sutra.

[Bertha Venation]

12. I had a good teacher.

A psychotic lover/ex-lover. I learned to stay calm because if I wasn't, all hell would break loose.

:hug: