DISTRESS SITUATION

DEFINITION:
Distress is a state of extreme sorrow, suffering, or pain. ... Distress is
the state of being in extreme danger and needing urgent help. He
expressed concern that the ship might be in distress.

WHAT IS DISTRESS SITUATION?

In a Distress situation, a calamity has already occurred, and life, limb,

or property is in peril. In a Distress Phase situation, a calamity has
not yet occurred, but there is reasonable certainty that grave and
imminent danger to life, limb, or property will occur unless the vessel
receives immediate assistance. However, there are many relatively
simple and healthy strategies.

HOW TO HANDLE DISTRESS SITUATION?

1. Identify your needs.

“When we are in distress, we need something. For example, We may

have an emotional need to feel accepted or heard. We may have a
tangible need to have more help around the house. We may have an
environmental need for peace and quiet. We may have a
psychological need to treat ourselves with kindness.

When you’re feeling distressed, ask yourself: “What do I need right

now?”

Your automatic response might be: “I need less stress in my life!” or

“I just want to be happier!”

If so, keep asking questions: “What does that mean exactly? What
does that look like? What does that feel like? What does that entail?
How might that be achieved?”
2. Focus on what you want — not on what you don’t.

When thinking about your needs, it can be more helpful to focus on

what you need, instead of what you don’t need.

For example: “Instead of saying, ‘I don’t want to feel lonely,’ come up

with specific ways that you can feel more connected to, supported
by, and engaged in your community, circle of friends, and/or family.”

3. Honour your needs.

After you discover what you need, honour it. When applicable,
communicate those needs to others. “If you don’t clearly
communicate your needs, no one will know how to support you.” We
can’t expect people to read our minds, she said. “That isn’t fair
neither to them nor to our’s-selves.”

4. Get moving.

“When we’re highly stressed moving can help pump more blood and
oxygen to the brain and shift into our senses and surroundings to
feel grounded and safe,”.

What kind of movement you do depends on your preference and

circumstance. For instance, if you’re feeling distressed at 3 a.m., it
can help to stretch, walk around, jog in place or even wiggle your
toes, she said.

5. Develop a nurturing voice. “Your inner nurturer starts by

validating what you’re feeling [and] offers comforting and soothing
statements [and hope].” For example : “You’re a good person going
through a hard time. You’ll get through this. Let’s just take it one
moment at a time; it will be OK.”
You also might create a compassionate figure after a kind person you
know, a spiritual guide or a fictional character. Turn to this figure
when your thoughts are judgmental or self-critical.

6. Reverse the “Golden Rule.”

Reversing the Golden Rule, which states that we should treat others
the way we’d like to be treated. “I find that most of my clients are far
more compassionate towards others than they are towards
themselves.” Kindness as being gentle and honest and honouring
our needs. This may look different for every person.

Kindness may include asking for help or saying yes or no, she said.
For instance, you say yes to a massage and no to preparing a
homemade dish for the office potluck.

Kindness may include “telling yourself it’s OK that you’ve gained 10

pounds, that you’re still beautiful and still worthy of attention and
affection.”

It may include “acknowledging … that you did something that was

hard for you to do, even if no one else noticed or even knew that it
was a challenge for you.”

It may include “forgiving yourself for making a mistake and for not
being perfect.”

7. Practice a soothing gesture.

“Place your hand over your heart, imagine a positive memory you’ve
had and just breathe in and out of your heart, feeling the connection
between your hand and your heart,”.
8. Practice different perspectives.

When we’re distressed, pain from the past may get reactivated. Then
we may “create a number of stories around what is happening,
which can be harmful to us and also inaccurate.”

Instead, pause. Consider what you’d say to someone in the same

situation. “What would you say to a child? What other perspectives
are possible? Can you think of three alternate neutral or positive
explanations?”

9. Ground yourself.

“If your distress is so high that you’re feeling unsafe, and unable to
access your other resources, you need to ground yourself first,”.
Grounding simply means anchoring yourself back to the present
moment.