When a severe situation arises like getting in a car accident, to panic and start screaming might be your first instinct. However, overstressing or getting anxious can only result in you having a complete meltdown, and responding like this may only cause you to have long-term physical, financial, and mental damages and may even result in you losing your ability to perform optimally. You also should know that even the world’s top achievers would not be where they’re right now without grasping the value of staying calm even under the most extreme pressure. They have developed the ability to know how to maintain psychological and mental readiness, which they can apply anytime they want.
Why You Need to Stay Calm
After getting involved in a car accident, your top priority is the most essential and yet the simplest: stay as calm as possible. The first reaction is your heart would be pumping so much blood that your heart rate will increase, and adrenaline will surge throughout your body. Adrenaline then gives you reactive power that would cause you to become irrational in making decisions.
However, staying calm allows you to react less actively and think logically about your situation. Then, you can make well-thought out decisions and take a cautious course of action. You can also assess your damages and even help you improve your recollection of the incident.
How To Keep Calm In Accident
You should slow down
If it’s possible, you shouldn’t react to the incident immediately. You should be patient instead so you can collect as many facts as possible. You should ask yourself before taking action, will my actions matter a week, a month or a year from now? If your response is yes, then you should step back and remove yourself from your current position. Doing this will assist you in becoming less emotional, thus improving your capacity to make decisions.
You should never ask yourself what if
The worst thing that you could ever ask yourself during a crisis is “what if.” Doing this will only make you panic and think of possible things that may not happen.
Asking “what if” will instill fear in you, which will only heighten the problem. Having a “what if” thought will only lead to more questions. What you could do instead is to ask yourself, “What are the facts?” and “What could be the solution?”
You should stay positive
When you get involved in an accident, your heart’s pumping fast and your brain works more quickly. Your brain then goes into different directions, and some of which will leave you in negative places. The more that your mind works, the harder it would be to stay calm. From the very beginning, you should stop yourself from thinking a lot of scenarios so you can focus yourself on thinking about things that are positive.
You can instead think that:
- You’re still alive
- You can still get back on your feet
- You would be able to see your friends and family again
You should take care of your body
If you’re healthy, you’re better equipped in handling tough situations.
You should:
- Eat balanced meals
- Regularly exercise
- Get plenty of sleep
Doing these things will help you increase your control of yourself, have better memory, and have the right amount of emotional intelligence. All of these things are important in how well you can respond to an emergency.
You should never forget to contact a reliable person
As soon as you can, you should utilize your support system and ask for their advice during this stressful situation. Contacting someone who’s not emotionally invested in the incident will be able to give you a different perspective and may be able to provide you with possible solutions. Plus, getting in touch with people that you trust and respect will help you feel grounded.
What You Should Do Next
As soon as you’ve calmed yourself down, these are the things that you should do next:
You should pull over
As soon as possible, if your car is still drivable, pull your vehicle to the side of the road. Doing this will let you position yourself in a safer situation and will help you prevent from getting involved in more accidents.
Talk to the other driver
If you can, get out of your car and talk to the other driver. If he/she is injured, immediately call 911.
If he/she is able, you should ask for:
- His/her name, address, and phone number
- His/her insurance details
- His/her license plate and driver’s license number
Take pictures
If your injuries are not severe, you should take photos of the crash. Pictures are essential when you file for insurance claims and ask for compensation.
Contact the police
Call the police so an officer will get to the scene and make an assessment of the crash. He/she will then be able to file a police report, which is essential in filing for compensation.
Consider legal action
Call a lawyer who may be able to help you on what to do next. Make sure that you contact a lawyer like the ones here who works in the field of traffic accidents. Your lawyer will be able to help you recover for your damages such as car repairs, compensation for your suffering, and your medical bills.
In The End
No one wants to get involved an accident, but if you get involved in one, you need to know that you need to get a grip on the situation with grace. You should remember that getting angry or panicking will not enable you to undo what has happened. A vehicle accident is not only the responsibility of the person at fault, but also by the victim’s. And no matter which side you are currently in, you need to keep yourself as calm as possible.
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Timothy Garret
Timothy is a budding legal writer who enjoys all aspects of the law industry. He’s currently studying to become a lawyer and is applying his law knowledge into what he writes. He spends time with his friends and swimming in his spare time.