How to Handle Crises

Bad things happen all the time. Eventually, something bad will happen to you. How you handle bad things before, during and after they happen will majorly impact how those bad things will affect your life.

Be Prepared

The easiest way to handle crises is to make sure they don't happen. A little preparation goes a long way. Good habits will not only prevent potential disasters, they will also minimize the damage of those disasters that can't be prevented. Keep your cell phone charged. Check and double-check your contract. Buy flood insurance. Leave plenty of time for traffic. Count your luggage. Always wear clean underwear.

The more aware you are of potential for disaster, the more prepared you'll be. You don't want to miss out on the job of a lifetime because unexpected construction caused you be so late you missed the interview.

Stay Calm Under Pressure

No matter how prepared you are, there's no way to account for all contingencies. So when disaster does strike, you have to be ready to spring into action. Lamenting your bad luck, pointing fingers, and thinking about what you should have done won't fix your situation. It might feel better to vent, and punishing the wrongdoers might feel like progress, but neither helps in the long term. Focus on what's important, and devote your energy to finding a solution.

If it's an hour before the wedding and your Maid of Honor just realized she left her dress on the train, you may be very tempted to yell. You might worry about what your pictures will look like. You might think that if she'd just counted her luggage like we told her to, this would have never happened. But are any of these courses of action replacing the dress? Take a deep breath and remember that you want your best friend to stand up next to you during one of the most important moments of your life. Maybe someone has a similar dress that will fit. Maybe she has a plain black dress that will work. Maybe you decide that what she's wearing doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

Be Decisive

Maybe, once you've stared focusing on solutions, you will realize that there are multiple paths to resolution. But you might not have the time, money or resources available to try them all. This can be paralyzing. Often, none of the possible solutions is a sure thing, or all have serious pitfalls.

Do you wait for AAA and miss the party, or ruin your dress and change the tire yourself? Only you can decide if the party or the dress is more important. But if you call AAA, then get impatient after an hour and change the tire yourself,  you'll ruin your dress and miss the party.

By making a decision and sticking with it, you lessen the chance of making your situation worse.

Choose Your Attitude


When you're in the throes of despair, it can be difficult to find humor in the situation. But think back over your life, and ask yourself how many of your best stories start with what you thought at the time was the Worst Thing Ever.

This goes back to focusing on what's important. Are you going to seethe every time you pass the exit that was closed on the day you lost your dream job? Will your maid of honor's missing dress ruin your wedding day? Is the AAA guy going to get an earful from you, even while he's trying to help you? If the answer is yes, you may need to step back and re-evaluate some things.