Many survival experts will tell you the key to surviving any situation is staying positive. The old adage of “a positive attitude is the key to success” couldn’t be truer than it is in survival.
Your brain can be your best friend as well as your worst enemy in a survival situation. When used to focus on staying alive, your brain can be more valuable than any tool you may have brought with you. Human beings are creative and curious by nature. If you can focus that curiosity and creativity on creating the tools needed to stay alive, you stand a much greater chance of actually making it. On the other hand, if you allow your brain to panic and think about all the what-ifs, you will be wasting precious time and energy on something that doesn’t help you in any way.
There are more than a few productive things to do with your brain when you find yourself in a less than desirable place.
Focusing on the other means of survival like ways to get food, water and shelter are great ways to take your mind off of possibility dying cold and alone.
Speaking of dying alone, think of your friends family. Think of what you want to do with them once you make it out. While this might not necessarily be productive, it does serve a purpose. The love you have for your friends and family can help you want to stay alive.
Another productive and somewhat fun thing to do is create distress signals. Creating large arrows and shapes not naturally found in nature allows you to get creative with the materials at your disposal and can take up a fair bit of time, time not spent stressing out.
Regardless of what you do to pass the time and keep your mind focused, just remember to stay positive and always think “I’m going to make it out of here.”
Story By
Mitchell Quartz
outside@suunews.com
