Ask any survival expert what the most important ingredient of any survival situation is and they’ll say Mental Attitude. Survival is more a state of mind than a skill set. Humans are incredible creatures and as long as we stay positive, we can overcome pretty much anything. It’s about dealing with stress and a terrible situation in a calm, rational and positive way. There’s no point freaking out. Depression, pessimism, laziness – those are what’ll kill you out there.
Set yourself small, attainable goals – build a shelter, collect wood, dig a well, make a water filter, start a fire.
Don’t give up – whether that’s using a hand drill to make fire or insulating your shelter for the cold night, don’t stop halfway through. Always complete your tasks. This will give you a huge mental boost.
Adapt to your situation quickly – Your lean-to shelter keeps falling down because the poles you’re using are too thin to support the weight. Don’t rebuild it half a dozen times. Make a different shelter, an A-frame might work better with the materials you have. Don’t try to make something work that isn’t working. Know when to abandon a project and know when to keep going. Everything you do uses up energy and if you don’t have a constant source of food and water, that energy goes quickly. Use it on the right things.
Stay motivated – what would keep you alive in a survival situation? Desire to get back to family and friends? How about faith? It doesn’t matter what it is, everyone is different, but keep it in your mind. Know your reason to keep going, to walk an extra mile a day, to wake up in the morning.
Most of all, stay positive and trust your instincts, just like Elka.
**Disclaimer – I’m not a survival expert. Don’t try this stuff at home. I accept no responsibility etc. If you want to learn more about survival, there are dozens of fantastic courses you can take and I encourage you to do so**