How to Survive Anything!

Stay calm. Gather your wits. We’re going to get through this together. Here, our experts’ guide for navigating life’s scariest perils and everyday frustrations.

- Chitra Subramanyam, Pallavi Shankar and Brandon Specktor

HOW TO SURVIVE

A Terrorist Attack

Following the Paris attacks of November 2015, the BBC surveyed survival experts and came away with confidence-building advice. 

Case the room. In the attack on the Bataclan concert hall, a security guard led a group of people to safety through a fire exit left of the stage. But there won’t always be a guard to help. Make a point of identifying emergency exits for yourself.

Make yourself smaller. “Where there’s cover from sight, there’s cover from gunfire,” advises Ian Reed, a British military instructor and chief executive of the Formative Group security firm. Hard cover, such as a concrete wall, is the best option. Stay quiet and put your phone on silent.

“Run, hide, tell”. In its report on ‘dynamic lockdowns’, the UK government’s advice is to run if there is a safe route out. If you can’t run, hide. If you escape, immediately tell an official what’s happening. Separate from gathering crowds; always assume there’s going to be a secondary action.

Be a team player. It’s the most efficient way for a group to evacuate and avoid jams. Social psychologist Chris Cocking says, most people are likely to try to help one another even in extreme situations—like the group of people who cooperated to escape the Bataclan via skylight.

Stay vigilant. You can do your bit by ensuring that all your verification processes (particularly tenant verification) are complete and in order. Be watchful and report anything remotely suspicious.

HOW TO SURVIVE

An Earworm