How do you keep your family feeling safe in an unsafe world, without going into denial or resorting to some intellectual re-framing about the daily news about escalating chaos in the world?
Here are two strategies to avoid becoming a nervous wreck: first, take practical measures to protect your various assets; second, ensure that your family stays healthy and well.
Let’s take a closer look at these two strategies to help you and your family maintain a sense of balance and well-being despite what is happening in the world.
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Take Practical Measures to Protect Your Assets
1. Protecting your Home
The best way to protect your home is by using a home security monitoring service. In addition, keep up with maintenance issues around the house so that you don’t have to end up dolling out a lot of money for preventable problems like a burst pipe or pest infestations.
2. Protecting your Information Systems
Your computer and other computing devices contain most of your data. Losing this information could create significant loss.
How do you keep your smartphone safe?
- Turn on the safety features to prevent anyone else using it should it get lost.
- Install an antivirus program.
- Shop for cases or screen protectors, and be sure to get one that suits the make a model of your phone. If you have an iPhone 7S, then you will need to look for iPhone 7S Screen Protectors.
How do you keep your computer or laptop secure?
- Use a network battery backup to prevent your computer crashing should the electricity go out during a storm.
- Backup all your data.
- Use a firewall and antivirus programs.
- Fix any problems that arise quickly—for instance, a noisy hard-drive—as this will prevent your computer system from crashing due to hardware or software issues.
3. Protecting your Information
Identity theft is a growing problem and USA.gov suggests you avoid sharing your personal information unless it’s absolutely necessary. This includes your social security number, your birth date, your bank number, and your telephone number, physical address, and email address. Also, avoid carrying your social security card in your wallet. The website also suggests that you pay attention to your billing and receipts for any anomalies—for instance, you stop receiving your credit card statements. Finally, shred any financial cards or statements before you throw them in the trash.
4. Protecting against Financial Loss
Financial loss can devastate a family. Insuring your home, your car, your health, your business, and so on can help your family recover from an unexpected loss. In addition, it’s important to write a will so that you can provide for your loved ones should anything happen to you.
Ensure your Family is Staying Healthy and Well
1. Health Habits
Prevention is far more effective than trying to cure a serious illness. You can ensure that everyone stays healthy by practicing health routines like good hygiene, exercise, diet, sufficient hydration, enough rest and sleep. In addition, you should arrange for everyone to have regular medical checkups.
2. Deal with Psychological Issues
If psychological issues are not dealt with as they arise, they can lead to more serious problems, ranging from neurosis to psychosis. Often professional help may be necessary to intervene in more serious issues.
Here are three instances when professional counseling can prevent an incipient psychological issue from becoming a major problem.
- Alcohol and drug abuse: Alcohol and drug abuse is a way a family member self-medicates. A stern family talk is not going to dissipate the underlying anxiety, depression, or other issue that is the root of the emotional distress.
- A dysfunctional family: If family members are constantly fighting with each other, then there is an underlying issue with the family itself rather than the person acting out. In this case, family therapy may be necessary to address the hidden psychological dynamics causing upsets.
- A major loss: Many families simply try to brush over a major loss through comforting words and giving the family member “space” to heal. This is not enough. When someone loses their job, when there is a death in the family, or when there is a diagnosis of a serious illness, it’s essential to get help to deal with the grief that these issues bring up.
While it’s not possible to keep your family safe from all harm, it is possible to take practical and sensible steps to reduce many avoidable hardships.
