How To Protect Your Emotional Health After a Natural Disaster
By Margot Lester and Marie Rossettie, SORS volunteers
The lake at the center of Camelot Village. (Henry Taylor / Chapel Hill Media Group)
After a natural disaster like the floods we experienced in early July, we’re often so focused on clean-up and recovery that it’s difficult to think about anything else. It’s hard enough to think about our physical health and safety during those moments, like masks and other PPE when demucking and stripping back drywall. Boiling water. Using hand sanitizer. Taking breaks in the heat. Staying hydrated. And worst case, coping with injury and loss. It’s a lot.
We get it. But after the first few adrenaline-fueled days, it’s a good time to check in on your mental health. Lots of people benefit from additional emotional support after a natural disaster. Of course, the ones directly affected, but also people who:
- Are close to you and are concerned about you and your situation
- Feel guilty because they weren’t impacted at all or as badly
- Experience climate anxiety or grief at yet another climate-related disaster
- Don’t have the resources to help and feel bad about that
Though we’ve come a long way, there’s still an enduring stigma around talking about our feelings and asking for help with emotional loads. But easing the burden is crucial to the long game of disaster recovery. And not dealing with this part of your overall health can create issues down the road. We’re sharing this information to help you feel better.
Take care of yourself
When we’re paralyzed or demoralized, it can feel counterintuitive or self-indulgent to do things to take care of ourselves. But taking action to support our emotional well-being is exercising agency, which always feels good.
Take a moment
Getting away from the situation is extremely helpful, even if you can’t physically leave. A mental break from recovery activities, doom-scrooling, etc., can have an impact. Find a quiet-ish place, close your eyes if that feels safe and take a few deep breaths. If you can, make your exhale a little longer than your inhale, which prompts deeper release and relaxation. Maybe do a little stretching. Then drink some water. These simple tasks calm our nervous system and nourish our brains and bodies.
Experience nature
If it’s safe and not triggering, go for a leisurely walk, sit under the sun or stars, or even look out the window. Researchers have discovered that just looking at natural objects, coastlines and landscapes light up the same parts of our brains that kick in when we’re doing something pleasurable. That gives us a respite from stressors and negative emotions. If going outside isn’t possible, we get these benefits from just looking at nature photos and paintings!
Move your body
Movement is good for our brains, too, but if you’ve been slogging away at demolition and clean up, stretching counts! When we move around, we release endorphins that ease stress. It’s also fun, especially if you engage with other people. It can be structured or free-form, like dancing around the room to your favorite song.
Grab a pen
Take time to acknowledge a few good things that happened each day. These might be small, like “I drank enough water” or “A butterfly landed on me” or bigger, like “I didn’t blow up at the contractors” or “Jamie brought supper over”. Writing about the things that we’re grateful for eases stress and anxiety, and also keeps us from feeling like everything is terrible.
Delegate tasks
If you’ve got a to-do list that’s a mile long, find a couple of things that someone else can easily do. Unload the dishwasher. Take a load to the dump. Take your kids to the movies or pets for a walk. The more you can remove from your plate, the better you’ll feel.
Friendly advice: If someone you know is under duress, take action. Offer something specific, like, “I made a bunch of sandwiches and will leave them in a cooler on your porch” or “I’m going to the grocery store this afternoon, give me your list.” Even bringing them an iced coffee or water, you’re helping!
Talk to someone
Feelings of sadness, loneliness, overwhelm and regret are common after a disaster. If you’re already seeing a mental health professional, they’re a great resource to help you constructively cope.
If you don’t have a counselor, reach out to a friend or family member. We know that can feel awkward, but they may not realize what you’re going through or know what to do—even though they truly want to help. Faith communities and the Orange County Senior Centers provide other opportunities for connection.
Friendly advice: If you know someone who might be struggling emotionally after a disaster, be proactive! Something as basic as a call, email or text reminds them they’re not alone.
Helplines offer confidential help
If you’re feeling particularly private or vulnerable, there are ways of getting help that nobody has to know about.
- You’ve probably heard of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Helpline. You can call or text this number (988) for anonymous support for any level of emotional distress, whether you’re feeling suicidal; are experiencing feelings of isolation, depression or anxiety; or just need someone to talk to.
- There’s also a resource line just for people impacted by disasters, too. The Disaster Distress Helpline provides free, confidential disaster crisis counseling 24/7 for folks who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Call or text 800-985-5990. Support is available in Spanish, and for ASL callers via Relay.
- And if you’re a first-responder or one of their family members who’s looking for support, there are resources especially designed for you, too. Safe Call Now (206-459-3020) has a confidential and comprehensive 24-hour crisis referral service for public safety and emergency services personnel and their families, nationwide. You can also call the NC Peer Support Team at 855-762-7337 or the Fire/EMS Helpline at 888-731-3473.
With everything going on in the world, adding a natural disaster to the mix can feel like piling on. Focusing on emotional well-being isn’t a nice-to-have or a luxury. We hope these tips help you feel better in the days ahead and long after.
One more thing…
The blue dots on this map show locations of more than 70 individual water rescues within 12 hours on July 6 and 7. Image courtesy Orange County Emergency Services.
We want to acknowledge the incredible work of our Technical Rescue Team and EMS volunteers and our mutual aid partners within the county and from afar in helping our community respond to and recover from the recent floods. Their dedication and expertise are unmatched and we are so grateful for all of them.
See how you can support our work.
Margot Lester is a former SORS board member and current strategic communications and advocacy volunteer. Marie Rossettie is a SORS board member, EMT and CPR instructor.
The South Orange Dispatch is a monthly column on Chapelboro by the South Orange Rescue Squad: an all volunteer, 501c3 non-profit providing EMS and technical rescue services in the Carrboro-Chapel Hill area of Orange County since 1971.
