The Zombie Apocalypse! Part 3: Maintaining Your Composure and Sanity!

Being briefed on what weapons to carry or how to hack up the undead are one thing. Being able to maintain a positive attitude and a clear mind is another. Take a look at the picture to the left....."I have a 57% chance of surviving....!" Now I don't know about you but it should be re-worded to "I have a 100% chance." 

Keeping The Mind Active
It may sound like a far fetched idea to even think about taking your mind off of the mission for even a split second, but it could mean yours or your groups survival.......or demise! Let us start from where we all hope to find ourselves in the case of a zombie breakout.....in a group of survivors. Granted you have all taken the necessary precautions, stocked up on weapons and maintain a vigilant night watch routine when you stop to make camp. All of this coordinating and communication between fellow survivors can and WILL be mentally exhausting, however, during downtime such as when your party stops to make camp, you should be stimulating the brain with positive, enjoyable and somewhat educational and/or brain building stimuli. There is no right or wrong thing to use, but as stated before, it should be stimulating. Examples can include reading, word puzzles, memory building, or just simply meditation. Remember, the mind is a muscle too and needs to be conditioned regularly.

Maintaining Ones Sanity and Composure
For those traveling in numbers, keeping your composure and sanity isn't too hard considering you have external sources to converse with. Now lets just say that you have survived the outbreak.....congratulations.....however, you are alone!!! You have not found any other survivors in your immediate vicinity and due to the dangerous risk of traversing ghoul infested cities and suburbs alone, you have decided to barricade yourself in your home or another dwelling of some sort. Lets also say that you have went down the check list and stocked up on supplies; food, weapons, medical  toiletries, etc, boarded up any entrances into your hideout, and you have positive mental stimuli. Again....congratulations!!! You are ready for the Zombie Apocalypse!!! 
Days go by, then weeks, then months and still no sign of any other survivors. You only venture outdoors to scavenge for supplies and restock on basic necessities. This may seem like the model survival situation, but what is the state of your sanity in a situation such as this one must ask? Humans as a species are a social creature. We need companionship, friendship and even people to hate and argue with. Its all apart of who we are. Now take away all of that and you are left with an animal who over time will develop delirium, depression and in worst cases, go insane...and if being alone doesn't drive you insane, the moans and cries of the undead will. Sadly, there isn't much that can be done to prevent this. Having a strong will helps and believe it or not, talking to inanimate objects and pretending they have human traits is another way to combat  extended periods of solitude. The correct term for this is called Anthropomorphism. Be careful not to become too attached to this object. The purpose of this is to maintain speech and proper brain activity! Part 4 will cover traveling in groups and how to set a secure perimeter around your camp!