Common hurricane preparation advice involves lists of critical supplies, shelter and evacuation route information, and a broad scope of best practices for securing our physical safety and assets. It’s also important to think ahead about how to secure our mental and emotional health during these times of fear, anxiety, stress, and challenge.

One way to do this is to activate hurricane prep best practices, early. Utilize the many outstanding and comprehensive hurricane preparation guides (i.e., FEMA and American Red Cross apps) and do it early in the season to reduce anxiety. It’s easy to put off preparations until a storm begins forming. Free up your mental and emotional energy by taking action before the chaotic supply rush comes.

Keep reading below to explore these additional ways to develop a hurricane preparedness well-being plan:

• Fortify for your communication and support system with family, neighbors, your workplace, and service professionals.
• Get clear on what’s really important to you before the risk of losing treasured material possessions is looming.
• Cultivate a realistic mindset and consider how you can lean into challenging experiences like being without power.
• Personalize your well-being plan by identifying stress and anxiety triggers during past events in a proactive and empowering way, being open to working with a mental health professional if you’ve experienced trauma.

Taking care of your mental and emotional well-being up front will set up you and your loved ones for a more resilient response to a challenging event. You might just adopt some healthy mindset shifts and practices to weather not only hurricanes, but everyday life.

Fortify your communication and support system. Anyone who has been through a disaster understands the importance of people in our recovery. Four tips to ensure you – and others – have the support they need: 1) Get to know your neighbors and have a plan to check-in on each other before and after storms. 2) Alert loved ones that you might not be able to communicate right away after a storm and explore options for staying connected when power is out and cell coverage is lost 3) Understand your employer’s emergency communication and leave policies and address concerns in advance 4) Have reliable, trustworthy insurance, home repair and other professionals in place who know you and are committed to you. Hurricane season can be scary, but it’s also an opportunity to connect with others and appreciate our relationships.

Get clear on what’s really important. Many people experience anxiety over the possibility of losing material possessions. Make a list of the items that you truly treasure, that hold sentimental value, and cannot be replaced. (not necessarily the most expensive things). Imagine being forced to quickly pack up your car to evacuate. Picture and capture on paper what your trunk would look like (after the necessities) using a filter of what inspires a sense of genuine meaning. Then, you can create a plan for how you would pack or secure those items in advance. Whether or not a severe storm hits, the process can help us reduce some of the attachments we have to our material stuff, and be more appreciative of the people in our lives.

Be realistic and lean into the experience. The more we resist challenges and undesired change, the more disappointment and angst we experience. For example, when a major storm blows through, it’s nearly inevitable that we lose electrical power. But that doesn’t mean you have to abandon your mental and emotional power. What if you decided in advance that you would quickly accept the reality of what’s occurring so you can be in a clear-headed space to make helpful decisions? You might be stuck at home, so think about how you can create meaningful experiences. Dust off the playing cards or board games. Embrace the opportunity to rough it by cooking on your outdoor grill or setting up a tent in the backyard. Plan to volunteer to help others who will need assistance. To the best of your ability, choose what kind of experience you want to have and plan for it.

Final thoughts: Personalize your hurricane well-being plan

To personalize your mental and emotional resilience plan, reflect on what caused you the most stress and anxiety before, during, and after Hurricane Ian. What contributed most to your discomfort? Draw three columns in a journal and list everything that comes to mind. Think about what is in your control to mitigate those fears and concerns and take proactive action to ease anxiety. If you’ve experienced trauma, be open to talking with a mental health professional who can help you navigate the emotional aspects of this process. Taking care of your mental and emotional well-being up front will set up you and your loved ones for a more resilient response to a challenging event. You might just adopt some healthy mindset shifts and practices to weather not only hurricanes, but everyday life.

Lisa Gruenloh is an International Coaching Federation (ICF)-certified executive, emotional intelligence, and mental fitness coach. She’s Founder and President of Purpose Journey®, a consulting, training, and coaching company that helps individuals and organizations harness their unique values, strengths, and purpose with bold action to optimize wellbeing and impact. Learn more at www.purposejourney.com and www.purposejournal.com.