Can you maintain calmness during an emergency--even the extreme ones?

Well, thankfully enough, when an emergency happens, the first thing I do is think about how I can help the situation. I was a nursing student, and we've been doing rounds in the emergency room where we usually see people rushing in due to gunshot wounds, cardiac arrests, head injuries, and all sorts of things. It's amazing how we learn to look past the injuries that we're seeing and get to readying the things that are needed. So far, the only emergencies that we've ever had were mostly office-related. Oh, and my two year old daughter getting out of the house without my knowledge. The office related emergencies were a fire and a few employees collapsing due to shock or difficulty of breathing, which weren't that much alarming because all you have to do is call for an ambulance or carry the employee to a car that will take him or her to the hospital. But when my daughter went missing one day while it was raining when I woke up, I didn't know what to do first. I was in my nightshirt, I couldn't find my slippers, and I didn't know where to look first. I was afraid of what I might find in the bathroom, or at the back of our house, or wherever. The thing is, my daughter could already reach the door knob and open the door. I didn't really worry about that part because we have a gate with a hook at the very top. I was trying to figure out how she got out when I saw one of the dining room chairs outside. It turns out, she dragged the chair outside, reached for the hook, got the gate open, and went outside. Good thing a neighbor saw my daughter and brought her to the house. Now we installed a lock at the very top of the door, a lock at the very top of the gate, and she does not get out anymore.

yes it is very difficult to remain calm during critical situations. if you get panic you are becoming mad. you will get into trouble by your own actions. the best way to manage the situation is defending upon controlling the mind. I do admit that controlling the mind is very very difficult in this world. All most all the time the mind is controlling us. self suggestion to your mind is the only way to control the mind. Mind is very complex mechanism. mind and its control is a very big subject. If you don't mistake me I advise you to go through the book "RAJA YOGA' written by a saint called Swami Vivekananda an Indian saint.

That really depends on the situation, how emergency it gonna be though. If I can, I will keep myself calm, and not to panic. Because with fussy and panicky mood, I can't think it clear and through things. Maybe I can practice it sometimes, or watch some movies to learn from it.

Ohh, it's hard to be calm in times of emergencies. I could still recall when someone knocked on our door to inform me that my brother had an accident and was sent to the hospital. I panicked coz i don't what to do, whether to call our mom or just go there without having a single penny. I was so amazed that i just walk my way through the hospital, i mean i hate walking but that time, it was like woooooshhh, i'm in there. I really panicked though i know i shouldn't have.

hi thetis74! I panic a lot while these kind of situations that you mentioned, especially disaster kinds, but sometimes if the disaster is not natural and its kind of emotional, i am surely very calm. yeah! In earthquake situations people do panic and most of the people panic thinking about their own lives, but very few stop and actually think of remedies and safety. Unfortunately i am not one of those people... :-P !!