10 Ways To Make Preparedness Part Of Everyday Living

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There’s a big misconception going around that preparedness has to be this whole other complete system that takes up a huge amount of time and money.

The fact is, you can prep as little or as much as you want. There’s no hard or fast rule that says you HAVE to prep a certain way.

You just need to prep.

A little bit at a time is better than nothing at all.

Preparedness should be apart of your life, not a completely separate life. You’re not living two lives, you’re living one life.

We have basic needs that must be met every single day; breathing, food, water, shelter and sleep. We can expand greatly on those needs, but it really comes down to those very basic needs to keep us functioning.

Everyday you supply those basic needs by eating meals, drinking liquids, having a roof over your head and eventually sleeping.

During a crisis, if you can’t supply those basic needs…how will you continue to survive?

This is what getting prepared is all about. Basic preparedness is making sure that we can supply our basic needs in good times and in bad.

Here are very simple ways that we can make preparedness part of our everyday life:

Buy a little extra – you go to the grocery store, right? So while you’re at the grocery store, buy some extra supplies. As an example, instead of getting one bag of rice, get two. Keep and use one, store the other. Here’s a list of items you may want to start purchasing. Take it slow. Little by little. Promise me when I tell you this: this is a journey, not a race.
Save some money – being financially prepared is part of being able to continue to supply those basic needs (like shelter) even during an emergency. If you lose your job, you have some savings to fall back on until you get back on your feet, so you can keep supplying that shelter, electricity, cooling and warmth. Take a look at my articles about finance. I even have an online class that talks about budget preparedness.
Prepare your mind – everyday we’re faced with challenges. You know what’s really challenging? Getting through an emergency or disaster. If we can strengthen our mind everyday, then when it comes to handle a much larger scenario such as a natural disaster or pandemic, we’ll be ready. Here are some skills we can practice everyday that can help to train our mind and body.
Have some fun – make learning new skills or gaining new preparedness knowledge a challenge and make it fun. Exercising doesn’t have to be difficult, nor does it need to be done at the gym. Making a paracord bracelet can be done while you watch some Netflix. Fit it around your schedule and have fun with it! Here’s a list of prepper things to do in 30 minutes or less.
Be prepared, but keep living life – being prepared doesn’t mean we have to stop having fun. Enjoy life and all that this crazy world has to offer. Never stop learning. Never stop loving. Never stop helping. Never stop LIVING! We prep now so that we can A) keep living everyday with confidence that we’ll be able to get through WHATEVER. And B) to have comfort in the fact that we can maintain a sense of normalcy even during an emergency or disaster.
Do what’s best for you – there are so many different ways to prep. Learn everything you can, but in the end, do what’s best for you, your budget, time and family. As I said before, any bit of preparedness is better than no preparedness at all. It’s just common sense to be prepared. You have car insurance for “just in case”, you have health insurance for “just in case”, you have renters insurance or homeowners insurance for “just in case”…so now you’re going to take your “just in case” preparedness into your own hands. You don’t have to be a doomsday prepper, just be prepared for basic emergencies and disasters.
Live and learn – if something has happened to you, or if you’ve seen something happen to others, don’t just blow it off and forget all about it. Never say never. Anything can happen to anyone. This isn’t fear mongering, it’s fact. We want to lessen our chances of being a victim and of being caught off guard. Learn from it and do whatever you have to in order to make sure it doesn’t happen again, or at least to increase your chances of not just surviving, but THRIVING. If something hasn’t happened directly to you yet, then start an internet search about local emergencies, disasters, look for nearby dams or nuclear reactors. I go into much more depth about how to accomplish this in my How To Create An Emergency Disaster Plan online class.
Be situationally aware – everyday we have tons of opportunities to practice situational awareness. Being able to see things before they happen is an advantage that can help us stay safe. Being situationally aware isn’t just about watching people, it’s also about watching the weather to foresee serious changes and determine if you need to take cover. Take a look at my blog post that talks about everyday situational awareness.
Learn something new – preparedness, survival, outdoors, etc. offers so many opportunities to learn something new and exciting. Always thought about canning your own food? How about dehydrating and making your own meals? What about getting some backyard chickens? Have you ever wanted to make your own soap? How about cutting your own hair? How’s your first aid skills? What about baking your own bread? Challenge yourself! Preparedness enriches your life by always offering something fun to learn and do.
Think about ‘what ifs’ – Whenever you’re out and about, think about ‘what if’ situations in your mind. What if someone were to box me while driving? What if someone were to kick my door down? What if a tornado came through right now? What if there was a blackout and we couldn’t leave for 3 days? What if I was stranded and had nothing but the items in my pocket? Get creative and have fun with it! This is a great mental exercise to get you thinking about your overall preparedness and any holes there may be. If you go through the scenario and discover holes, begin writing a list on how to fill those holes!