Many offer flowery advice for staying calm under pressure, but unfortunately, not much of the textbook and magazine ideas hold up when the bullets are flying, as they say in the military.

Surrounded with Stress

During the last 10 years, our neighbors on the other side of the border have fired many thousands of deadly rockets at us here in the south of Israel where I live. Frequently, families have been back and forth between the bomb shelters and living quarters. We’re forced to cope with overflows of adrenaline every time the Red Alert siren wails and the rockets and/or rocket-interceptor missiles explode. There’re threats from Iran daily. Just yesterday, one of our finest young men, Eliahu David Kay, may Hashem avenge his holy martyred blood, was murdered while walking to the Kotel, the Western Wall remnant of our Holy Temple in Old Jerusalem. What’s more, the government has adopted appeasement policies to maintain a fragile coalition that’s dependent on those who support terror. It’s not pleasant, to say the least.

You Can Cope!

Over the years, I’ve put together a few simple guidelines to coping and staying calm in the scenarios of threats and threatening situations, which have proved effective. If these ploys work under rocket attacks and terror threats, they certainly won’t let you down in coping with day-to-day stress.

1. Remember the Creator! Say over and over, ein od milvado – “There is no one but Him,” and remind yourself that a hair cannot fall from your head against his will. Know without the slightest doubt that Hashem is right there with you. Yes, we do what we must to defend ourselves, but we trust in Hashem.
2. Thank the Almighty for whatever blessings you can think of, immediately. For example, “Thank You, Hashem, for my heartbeat,” or “Thank You, Hashem, for the food in my refrigerator.” Take nothing for granted. When you thank the Almighty, He gives you many more reasons to thank Him.
3. Sing or hum a melody of faith, encouragement and inspiration – I love this one or this one, for example. Faith will replace the fear – that’s the power of a soulful melody.
4. Say, “Hashem loves me,” over and over.
5. Be optimistic – positive thoughts lead to positive outcomes.

By now, the coast is probably clear. Every time you implement the above steps, in part or in whole, under fire, you develop more inner strength. These five ploys won’t let you down. Without them, I for one could not cope.