How My Nephew Survived a Bear Encounter and You Can Too: Both Literally and Figuratively.
- Kelli Blue Hill
- Aug 14, 2019
- 3 min read
My nephew is one cool cat. If I were ever to be placed in a survival situation, I would want him to be my partner for the following reasons:
-He is safety conscious, often requiring others to wear safety googles when facing even minimal risk.
-For a third grader, he’s extremely well read when it comes to survival situations. In his mind lies a wealth of information, from avoiding shark attacks to proper sheltering technique during tornadoes.
-He maintains a well-stocked first aid kit which he utilizes to treat any scrapes, scratches or bumps that occur in his presence.
-He’s an expert at identifying species of birds and other wildlife.
Seriously, this is the guy you want to be with during the apocalypse!
While vacationing in the Smokies recently, this fella had set his hopes high on seeing a black bear! They had traveled about town, hoping to catch a glimpse of a bear from a reasonable distance, but to no avail. Feeling resigned, he and his family picked up some groceries and returned to their cabin.
It was while retrieving groceries from his family’s van that his dreams were realized...kind of. My nephew had envisioned seeing a bear frolicking about while he viewed from afar, outside the radius of attack. Instead, he was now standing face to face with a black bear!
Having realized that the creature before him was not a “strange hog” (his words, not mine), he ran inside, screaming, to alert his family to the presence of bears. His parents closed the door, waited it out and grabbed some precautionary pepper spray during their next outing. All are safe and well. And, after the initial fear subsided, it made for a pretty good story, raising my nephew’s wilderness cred substantially.
Our bodies are naturally primed for situations like this. In fact, our fight/flight/flee response is often described as “our reaction when we encounter a bear in the woods.” Then, it is often followed with the disclaimer: “this reaction is fine...as long as THERE IS A BEAR IN THE WOODS!”
In the case of my nephew, his stress response worked perfectly. In the face of danger, he chose to flee (thankfully) and seek safety. The benefits of our fight/flight/flee response are obvious. However, it’s not uncommon for this system to react to a false alarm. Our hearts begin to beat quickly. Our breathing patterns change. We break into a sweat. We become fearful and anxious, even in relatively safe situations.
The temptation to avoid feelings of anxiety is monumental. Who enjoys being in a state of stress, right? We’ll avoid going to parties so that we can avoid social anxiety. Or, we might choose to binge Netflix rather than complete that daunting task on our to-do list. Our list of avoidance strategies could go on for miles.
Stress, anxiety and fear are no fun but totally unavoidable. Therefore, our avoidant strategies are like spitting in the wind. I previously mentioned the importance of making friends with our emotions. After all, if we can’t beat ‘em, why not join ‘em?
1) Take a deep breath. Sounds cliché but there’s a ton of science behind it!
2) Name your emotion. What flavor of fear are you experiencing? Anxiety? Insecurity? Helplessness?
3) Accept your emotion. A simple mantra such as “I’m feeling anxious, and that’s ok,” will do wonders for your mindset! It gives us permission to experience our feelings without engaging in a power struggle against them.
4) Read the message. At the end of the day, fear is our mind and body’s attempt to protect us. This is a good chance for you to start an inner dialogue with your buddy, Fear. Mine usually goes something like this, “Thanks, Fear. I appreciate that you are trying to protect me, but I’m going to need you to take a back seat so I can make a decision here.”
5) Take Action. Find one thing you can do that would bring a little value to your life. Maybe it’s connecting with a loved one where you feel safe and secure. Maybe it’s asking for help when you are feeling overwhelmed. Maybe it’s spending some time in prayer or meditation. Maybe it’s choosing to rest. Whatever you choose, make sure it is leading you in the direction of the life you want and need to have.
So, the next time you see a bear, either literally or figuratively, press the pause button, follow these steps. After practicing this consistently, you will learn to recognize anxiety when it is in its teeny tiniest state. This response-not reaction- will become second nature to you. With a little time, our fear reaction can return its God-given state- not to be a liability but an asset. A point of growth. A catalyst for moving us one step closer to living our best life.
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