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Crisis Management
What is a crises in Crisis Management
A crisis is an emotional and physical response to some precipitating event or series of events that disrupts our normal day-to-day functioning. Everyone experiences a crisis now and then. They are a normal part of life and can occur at any stage. Some experts say that we can only grow and develop through resolving the normal, developmental crises that are part of being human.
However, sometimes we experience something that is so hurtful, challenging, or threatening that we feel overwhelmed. Experiencing a loss, suffering a blow to one’s self-esteem, or having difficulty adjusting to new circumstances are all common crises experienced by students in 3rdlevel. When you experience a crisis, you can have physical reactions, like headaches, stomach pains, tiredness or exhaustion. You can also feel helpless, confused, anxious, and unable to concentrate. These feelings are signs that your mind and body are trying to cope but are taxed by doing so. Because students in 3rd level are juggling multiple demands on their time and energy, they may be particularly vulnerable to crises.
How can a crisis be managed in Crisis Management
While we may have limited control over the event that precipitates a crisis, we do have control over how we choose to manage it. Crisis management occurs through coping. We all have coping skills, or behaviours that are automatic reactions to demands placed on us. When we are in crisis, we feel that our existing coping skills are not enough to get us through. We may be overlooking resources that we have, or stuck in a pattern of avoidant coping (for example, through denying that a problematic situation exists or by using alcohol or other drugs to “cope”). We may be reluctant to seek help from others because of negative experiences in the past, fear of being misunderstood or labelled or because of thoughts that we “aught” to be able to manage on our own. However, part of the process of becoming mature adults is learning how to get help when we need it.
When managing a personal crisis it can be very helpful to pay attention to perception. Perception refers to how we look at and interpret both the precipitating event and our possible alternatives for dealing with it. If you perceive an event as a total and complete disaster from which you can never recover, you will feel much worse than if you:
• acknowledge the pain the event has caused you
• remember that we all experience pain in life
• remember how you coped with pain in the past.
What Crisis Management requires
Managing a crisis well requires planning and action. Suggestions for positive coping Everyone copes in their own way with life events. Some people are very well aware of their coping style while others are less sure of how they react to stress. What works for one person, may not work for someone else. The following guidelines for managing a crisis will help you to mobilise your resources and develop more alternatives for coping. You will also come out of the crisis with more tools for living
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