Crisis management is a current topic. That is why Medicom spoke with the Austrian emergency and military psychologist Bernhard Penz. He explains what strategies exist to master challenges in crisis situations. Read more now in the expert interview or listen to it as a podcast.
About the person: Bernhard Penz is a clinical psychologist, emergency psychologist, and military psychologist.
Medicom: As a psychologist, when would you say someone is in a crisis situation? What does that term mean?
Penz: We call something a crisis when a person’s usual problem-solving strategies are no longer available or only available to a limited extent for a specific situation, or when their own coping mechanisms are not immediately accessible. This means that the balance between the difficulty of the problem and the availability of potential solutions is no longer there.
Medicom: So you get stuck in your situation? What would be a first step to handle it? Do you perhaps first have to understand what is happening yourself?
Penz: Yes, it is very important to pause for a moment and ask yourself, what is actually going on here? You can even train yourself to do this in various situations. Think, for example, of pilots before takeoff or surgeons before they enter the operating room. There is always a check first. One follows very clear structures and procedures to determine whether something is working or not.
The natural reaction would be to simply step on the gas. But that is exactly the wrong reaction.
Often, you maneuver yourself too quickly into an even deeper problematic situation. You can compare it, for example, to driving in heavy snowfall where there is a risk of getting stuck. The natural reaction would be to simply step on the gas. But that is exactly the wrong reaction. The right thing to do is 'take your foot off the gas' and ask yourself what could still go well and what tools I have to get out of this situation safely.
Medicom: In a state of overwhelm, we also feel very clear bodily reactions, so-called somatic markers, such as a racing heart, stomach aches, etc., which call on us to pause and consider what is happening. Isn't it also true that, due to our own unique history, we react quite differently to challenging situations?
Penz: Yes, absolutely, and the more often we have already experienced and overcome such situations, the more crisis-resistant we become; that is the positive scenario. If a crisis has not been processed and overcome, we can, of course, fall ill. However, in many areas, we can also grow through these crises.
And that brings me to our so-called "gut feeling" that we have acquired over time through certain experiences. When this feeling arises, we know it is time to pause and take a deep breath to return to the control center and not be overwhelmed by emotions so that we can solve a problem as effectively as possible. It is important to move away from the emotions that arise in the first moment and toward the cognitions that can, in turn, help us to cope well with a situation.
Medicom: Currently, we are all in the same extraordinary situation. We are all home more, are dealing more with ourselves, but are also exposed to a certain information overload. What role do new technologies and social media play here?
Penz: I think there are two sides here that need to be looked at carefully. On the one hand, the new technologies available to us during this time are a blessing. Information can still be conveyed—for example, by public broadcasters, who continue to report to us, and we can also talk and get informed globally. If such a situation as today had happened 20 years ago, that would not have been possible in this form. I am convinced that we will learn from this time that new media enables an easier life. We can use them now to maintain social contacts, and in the future, we won't have to travel as much for business meetings either. Those are the positive effects.
One should only use media in a very controlled manner. There is too much disinformation on social media.
A negative effect is the resulting need to constantly dive into the media to gather information uninterrupted. That is a disadvantage because we then submerge ourselves too much in a virtual world and are no longer in the here and now. One should use media only in a very controlled manner—specifically, public media to get reliable information, and only for certain purposes and to a certain extent. There is too much disinformation on social media, which does nothing but amplify the problem because there are no control mechanisms here.
And I also recommend that you only seek out conversation partners via new technologies who are good for you, and conversely, try to be good to others in conversation.
Medicom: You also have experience with very intense crisis situations. You have accompanied emergency personnel who were deployed, for example, after the tsunami in Thailand, the mountain railway disaster in Kaprun, or in Chad. You have accompanied people who took action under extreme conditions. What did you observe during that?
Penz: The most important point here is to support emergency personnel so that they can remain in control of their skills and capabilities. It is therefore important to ensure that they can stay physically fit to fulfill their tasks in such a situation. It is an immense burden, and it is helpful for them to have someone looking out for them, as they are concentrating entirely on their task. One must ensure that breaks for recovery are maintained, or that after particularly stressful situations like Kaprun (glacier railway fire 2000), Galtür (avalanche disaster 1999), or Thailand (tsunami 2004), there is always a space for conversation, exchange, and follow-up care so that what was experienced is not taken home.
That is the task of the emergency psychologist: to give emergency personnel the opportunity to regain security and strength for new tasks. Every mission is thus followed up not only technically but also psychologically.
Medicom: Isn't it also impressive to observe what one can achieve? That we are capable of so much more than we actually believe?
Penz: This is also evident right now in the current situation, not only with people who are heavily involved in the response but also with the general population. And that confirms to us that when we humans are challenged, we can achieve incredible things. And the special thing about such events is to see how much people can pull together in such situations and experience a sense of "we," whereas the "I" usually prevails. And it is precisely this sense of "we" that makes us enormously strong.
Medicom: What are the personal resources that everyone carries within themselves?
In chaos, everything seems to fall apart, and the antidote here is structure.
Penz: Especially in situations where we are restricted in our movement, it is very important to create a structure for yourself. In chaos, everything seems to fall apart, and the antidote here is structure. It can help us to cope well with everyday life.
For example, even if it were possible now, don't sleep in in the morning, but get up early and follow a routine. Like a few fitness or yoga exercises, or perhaps you can discover something new for which you previously had no time. It is also important to find times for yourself to do things that you know are good for you but for which you previously had no time. A very decisive point is, of course, nutrition. One is now more easily tempted to keep going to the fridge and also to eat too many sweets. That might be fun at first, but in the long run, it makes you tired and sluggish. You should avoid that. Whenever possible, according to the given restrictions, you should also go out into the fresh air daily, which you have likely already noticed has become much better.
Medicom: In connection with challenging situations, the term resilience has recently appeared again and again. We all seem to possess it, but how can one access it, or what is it actually?
Resilience: This means a certain flexibility and adaptability to situations without going under.
Penz: Simply explained, you could put it this way: If you look into your garden, for example, you might see a birch tree. To me, it is the epitome of resilience. Specifically, because it is a beautiful tree; in a storm, this birch will bend, sometimes even so strongly that the treetop touches the ground, but it then springs back into its original shape. That is what we mean by resilience. That means a certain flexibility and adaptability to situations without going under. But it also sometimes means giving in and not having to hold out against it.
The birch tries to maintain its strength and its life by swaying with the storm, yet it retains its shape. That is what we should also try to do in life when problems come our way that cannot be tackled immediately: be prepared to move ourselves out of the situation accordingly, but still retain our integrity. To be able to do that, I must create the appropriate prerequisites in everyday life; that means physical and mental health, nutrition, and a social environment—friends and being well-embedded. That is how resilience can be created and preserved; we are well-embedded, and everyone looks out for themselves but also for the community. In this way, we can move with nature, be resilient, and survive the greatest crises.
Medicom: Thank you very much for the conversation.
• Do you want to know more about the balance between body and mind? Click here for the podcast interview on the topic of self-care with Ulrike Scheuermann.
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