It is difficult to know how to deal with risk situations, especially when they tend to be unpredictable.You never know how you are going to react.It is precisely for this reason that it is important to know, what behaviors to avoid when faced with a catastrophe. Here we tell you!
What behaviors should we avoid in situations of a catastrophe?
Block youOne would think that in the event of a catastrophe, the first thing that would happen is the mass hysteria.In the movies at least, that's what happens, people run in all directions and despair attacks.But reality is the most natural human response to danger is simply to do nothing.
That's right, apparently even if it seems passive from the outside, when we are paralyzed by fear, it is a sign that the brain is activating its own or brake system.When the adrenaline increases, our muscles tense, and the primitive "little brain" at the base of our necks sends a signal to keep us paralyzed in the same place.
Inability to thinkDuring a disaster, the speed at which our brains review our options goes from bad to worse, mainly because the first order of the brain is: flood the body with the "good feeling" and numbing dopamine hormone. This may seem counterproductive, but dopamine also plays a crucial role in preparing the body to face danger, since it triggers the release of more hormones, including adrenaline and chemical cortisol.It is just this cocktail of hormones that closes the prefrontal cortex, which is located behind the forehead and is responsible for higher functions, such as working memory.Just in times of stress when we need our wits more, we become forgetful and prone to make bad decisions.
Tunnel vision or focus on a single solutionYou would think that during a crisis the brain was precipitated by all the options, ways and ways to solve a problem.However, the typical response to the disaster is the so-called «perseverance», which consists in trying to solve a problem in only one way, one and again, regardless of the results.
Get stuck in the routineThe human brain is highly dependent on familiarity.The new situations are mentally very stressful, since We work to build a new model of the world around us, a fact that can explain why we usually feel so tired when we are abroad or when we start a new job.
In an emergency, adjusting to the new situation may be more than our brains can take.Instead, we tend to move on as if nothing is happening, hence so many people die in fires returning as expendable objects such as a wallet or keys.
Enter denialIn general terms, denial occurs for two reasons; either because the situation is not interpreted as dangerous, or because we simply do not want to accept that it is so. When the risk is high, our brains tend to rely more on feeling than on fact, banishing stressful thoughts and reassuring us explaining the danger.
The problem with denial is that it delays action, and that can sometimes make the real difference between life and death.
But all this It leads us to think: if we cannot trust our natural instincts, what should we count on?
The best we can do is prepare our brains daily to avoid these situations: force ourselves to act, think about the options in complicated situations, not be locked in a single solution and exercise creative thinking, and above all, attend to the danger signs in time.
You could also interest:
The testimonies of the people who helped in the Chernobyl catastrophe
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