The best way to cope with crises is to plan and prepare for them. Here are a few things you can do to limit the chances of them happening and to limit the impact when they do:
- Make copies (scans) or keep records of all important documents (passport, visas, driving licence, credit cards, medical cards, marriage/birth certificates etc.). Leave copies with someone in your home country and have an electronic copy you can access whilst you're away if you need to (store it online somewhere or email it to yourself).
- Develop an emergency plan (if a certain thing happened, what would you do? Who would you call? i.e. a death in the wider family, a medical emergency, a car accident, a house fire, a burglary whilst you're asleep in the house, family suddenly being separated/children getting lost, theft of your laptop or wallet/purse, civil unrest, natural disasters). Think through what you would do and communicate it to the rest of your family
- Make an inventory of all your items (left at home and taken with you).
- Label everything (inside and out, if possible)
- Always be security cautious (keep things locked, out of temptation's view, don't draw attention to yourself, keep info private, shred or burn paperwork)
- Register with the embassy or consulate in the place your are staying. That way they can contact you in an emergency.
