Chapter 25 · Mental health and personal safety
25.3 Sleep, routine, and leadership during confinement
In this section (3)
A week-long blackout, sheltering at home, or a long evacuation wears people down more through disorder than through lack of supplies. The Army survival manual (FM 21-76 / ATP 3-50.21) insists: fatigue degrades the group's judgment and morale.
Sleep
- Shifts: if someone has to keep watch (a generator outside, rising water, a sick person), take turns and make sure each person gets one long block of uninterrupted sleep.
- Darkness and coolness: in the heat and without power, sleep in the coolest room, with safe ventilation (chapter 9). Earplugs and an eye mask help a lot.
- A fixed schedule for going to bed and getting up, even when there is no work.
- Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and alcohol at night.
Daily routine
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| Morning | Get up at the same time, wash up, breakfast, a short 10-minute meeting (section 25.5). |
| Midday | Assigned tasks: water, food, cleaning, walking the pets, checking official news at a set time. |
| Afternoon | Rest during the hottest hours; quiet activity (reading, board games). |
| Evening | Eat dinner together, review the day, prepare for tomorrow, charge batteries. |
Pets appreciate routine too: food and walks at the same time calm them, and their company calms people.
Leadership
- One person in charge of each area, not a "boss of everything": water and food; power and communications; health and medicines; pets. Each person in charge makes proposals and the group decides the important things.
- The leader gives clear, frequent information. Rumor fills the information vacuum.
- Recognize everyone's effort. Morale goes up when the work is noticed.
- Assign meaningful tasks: having something useful to do reduces anxiety (chapter 1).
