I was talking to my daughter on a walk the other day about staying calm in an emergency. We were talking about old family stories – like that time my oldest son busted his face on a bookshelf as a toddler and cut his upper lip area clean through, or that time I broke my leg in three places on a trail run and had to get removed from the woods by the fire department – and I realized that there is a big lesson in here for business as well.

How calm do you stay in an emergency? What processes do you use to help you through a painful situation? Or a scary situation? How confident are you in your skills under pressure?

staying calm in an emergency

These are things we all face in our daily lives, to varying degrees of severity. However, they are also things that help us train and prepare for how we will handle hiccups in our business.

Staying Calm in an Emergency – Tips

Now, if it all comes down to staying calm in an emergency, it’s important you know how to do that. Some people seem to be born with a natural ability to remain calm, but if you’re not one of those people, there are steps you can take to train yourself.

Here’s how you can train yourself to stay calm in an emergency:

  • Educate yourself – When you are confident you know what to do in an emergency, it will help you stay calm. Learning first aid, CPR and survival skills are some ways to do this.
  • Take time to breathe – Learning breathing techniques and taking the time during an emergency to stop and breathe is a great way to keep yourself physically and emotionally calm, no matter what is going on.
  • Learn to adapt – We face situations that do not go as planned nearly every day, in one form or another. Learning to adapt is important to staying calm in an emergency.
  • Take care of yourself – Panic and anxiety also don’t just go away when the emergency moment is over. It’s important you learn how to self-care after emergency, and just in your daily life. This will help you stay calm, with anything that comes your way.

So, how does all of this impact your business?

Controlling Your Emotions Helps You Manage Your Business

All of the tips above can also be applied to a sticky situation within your business. These skills cross over to various areas of your life. But when you know how to control your emotions, you can better manage any situation that comes along.

No business is perfect and we will do well to be prepared for the bumps along the way. Knowing that things WILL go wrong, and having a system in place for how you will deal with it is a great way to control your emotions and stay calm in a business emergency.

What kinds of things do you do – or can you do – to help control your emotions when it comes to your business?