Many people think prepping can be easy and it can be easy. It really can. Getting together the supplies, practicing and learning skills, and reading prepping material is easy and also very necessary to do. Many of us preparedness-minded bloggers and writers advocate how easy prepping is so that we can get everyone to prepare. We want everyone to be prepared for the crises that can happen in our lives whether it is a job loss or a natural disaster.

However, when you decide to move beyond basic preparedness, you realize prepping is also very hard. You must be prepared for hard things. Because when a crisis happens, there is more than just having the necessary things on hand to be prepared.

You must be prepared psychologically. Your emotions and your mental health must be ready to handle the bad things that come along with a crisis. You must be ready for the challenges and the realities of the situation.

There are a lot of people in our country who cannot handle being uncomfortable in any way. They simply cannot handle being put out for any reason. They may think they have it good now and life could be better, but they do not simply comprehend how bad life could be.

We all know someone who could not live without their daily coffee run. We all know someone who expects to have their supper ready by 6:00 pm. We all know someone who cannot sleep on anything but a soft bed with a memory foam pad.

There are more scenarios, but the point is these are the people who suffer the most in a crisis. Why? Because they simply cannot handle any upset in their daily routines. They cannot handle being uncomfortable and would think their life is over if they did not have their daily hot shower.

As a prepper, you must learn to do hard things and not become comfortable with your daily routines. You already know how uncomfortable life will be when the SHTF happens. As preppers, we envision how hard daily life could be and we try to prepare for that. However, as preppers, sometimes we forget to mentally prepare for how hard daily life can be.

Since we are not really in these times now, you must challenge yourself to be mentally prepared. You must make yourself uncomfortable and shake up your daily routines.

Ask yourself these questions:

• How long can you go without a shower? What would you do if you could not shower?
• How long can you go without washing your hair? Could you handle the greasy hair and the itching?
• Can you sleep anywhere?
• How long can you go without sleep and still function?
• Can you live without your daily shot of caffeine?
• Can you live without soda/pop?
• How far can you walk? What if you didn’t have good shoes or shoes at all?
• How far can you carry heavy things? How far can you carry your young children?
• How long can you wear your clothes without changing them?
• Can you handle not shaving every day?
• Can you handle not being able to brush your teeth every day?
• Can you handle eating whatever you can find to eat? Can you eat food you don’t like or isn’t clean?
• How long can you go without shopping?
• Do you have enough food in the house for one week? Two weeks? One month?
• Can your kids handle eating whatever is put in front of them? Will they starve before they eat something they don’t like?
• Can you handle going without an alcoholic drink or a cigarette?
• Can you survive with just the clothes on your back?
• Can you scavenge enough supplies just to survive?
• How creative are you? Have you forced yourself to figure that out?
• Can you miss a meal and be okay? How about two?

There are so many more questions to ask of ourselves. We come from all different walks of life and have experienced things that no one understands. Some of us are poor and can answer some of those questions with a definite yes because we have done those things. Some of us are financially comfortable and have never experienced anything that would make us uncomfortable.

Some of you will say that if I have to live without coffee, caffeine, or whatnot, life is not worth living. If you have to live a deprived or uncomfortable life for any length of time, you don’t want to survive whatever crisis comes knocking. That is the wrong attitude. Many people who have gone through a crisis will say you learn to live with being uncomfortable because it becomes a new kind of normal. If you have lived through a natural disaster, those questions can become realities in just a few days.

Some of you will also say that this is why you prepare – so you don’t have to experience those things. That is why we all prepare, but we all know life can turn in an instant. An earthquake or wildfire rarely gives much notice before it hits. When you have to evacuate, you are faced with choices you may have not been prepared to make. You can have a bug-out bag or a 72-hour kit, but they will provide for all your needs. You may be ready to go to a hotel or a friend’s house, but their house may be in danger too. You may find yourself living in your vehicle for a few days. Then what?

You need to be ready to be uncomfortable. You need to be mentally and emotionally prepared to be challenged and to go without. Some of us will rise to the challenge beautifully and, just like in the movies, be just fine because we can roll with the challenges. Some of us will quite frankly lose our minds.

Now is the time to challenge yourself. Now is the time to get yourself in shape – physically and mentally – so you can handle the challenges. You may think you will know what you will do, but until it happens, you don’t know what you will do. However, you need to be prepared.

Thanks for reading,
Erica

Related posts:
We Are Nine Meals From Anarchy
Prepping Is About The Little Things

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