I’m re-reading Laurence Gonzales’ terrific book, Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. Gonzales describes the phenomenon of “perceptual narrowing,” a sort of tunnel vision of the mind that reduces perspective and induces disorientation. You get locked in on one tiny detail; you look up and you don’t know where you are. You get lost. Urgency turns into emergency. Thoughts hit hyper-drive, frantic action blossoms into over-reaction. You’re out of control—overwhelmed.

In day to day life, you’re not likely to get lost in the wilderness like some of the people Gonzales describes. Instead, you’re more likely to get overwhelmed by commitments, deadlines, information, and other stressors. Your body doesn’t know the difference, though. So what should you do?

• Consciously pause and assess your situation. Where are you? What are you supposed to be doing? Take inventory of what’s in front of you.
• Capture your open loops into your trusted system. Make sure your system remains trust worthy. This is akin to a mountaineer checking his ropes and other essential equipment. If you fail your system, you system will fail you.
• Be fully present and practice deliberate calm. This might include reminding yourself that you can handle whatever’s coming at you.

Yes, the river may be raging, but you’re wearing your life vest: GTD. Flip over on your back, toes up, and enjoy the ride.