Readiness
The work you do before — and in the quiet between.
Most of us were not ready. That is not a failure. It is information for next time.
Emergency plans, go-bags, and knowing who to call before you need to. Community networks that already know each other hold up better under stress.
- A written household plan: where you'd go, how you'd reconnect.
- A go-bag: documents, medication, chargers, water.
- Sign up for local emergency alerts.
Looking back can bring guilt, 'I should have been more prepared.' That hindsight is normal, and it's not a verdict on you.
- Hindsight feels like fault. It isn't.
- Preparing now is a way of caring for your future self.
- You survived without being ready. That counts for something.
No wrong answer. Pick whatever's closest.
Looking for something you can do right now? Explore self care →
What you can do now
Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint, and readiness is the part you do between the sprints. You're likely here after the fact, and that's fine. Pick one small thing to protect your future self.
Where would your household go? How would you find each other if phones are down? Two or three sentences is enough, keep it on the fridge.
Save 988 (crisis), 911 (emergency), and 211, the local line that routes you to the right help fast.
Call or text 211 →Copies of key documents (a phone photo counts), medications, chargers, water. You don't have to finish it today, just start it.
Browse the full directory of local organizations so the names are familiar when it counts.
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