>> Why We Have This Emotion
Shock interrupts ongoing actions and boosts our senses to identify and contain danger. The brief startle response prepares defensive action and updates predictive models to avoid similar shocks.
◎ What to do in the moment
Good Ideas
- Sit or lean to prevent falls
- Check your immediate safety
- Say it: “I'm in shock right now”
- Breathe slowly, 10 big exhales
- Confirm the facts with others
- Stabilize (call, seek shelter, hydrate)
- Pause all big decisions temporarily
Bad Ideas
- Deny it happened and do nothing
- Make hasty, irreversible choices
- Drive / use machinery while stunned
- Fill in gaps with wild assumptions
- Lash out verbally at whoever’s near
- Force “acting normal” right away
- Replay the scene over and over