Gusts over 100 km/h, torrential rain: storm Benjamin hits hard this October 23. Several train and bus lines have even been suspended throughout the country. But while this disrupted traffic is pissing off many French people, how can we be patient? Pascal Anger, psychologist, shares some valuable advice with us.
Train lines disrupted
Due to strong gusts of wind and torrential rain, many lines are experiencing traffic difficulties this Thursday. In detail, TER traffic is severely disrupted in Hauts-de-France, Normandy, Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Centre-Val de Loire and New Aquitaine.
“Strong winds could disrupt train and bus traffic in the region all day“, confirms the SNCF on its site. “Before going to the station, we recommend that you check your train timetable on your mobility application and be vigilant when traveling“, she continues.
Disturbances which greatly worry the French who have to go to work or go on vacation.
“If the train is canceled, I will go by car, hoping that the roads are not blocked with the storm“, confides a man at the microphone of France Info. “I don’t know at all how I can get to Paris and then go to Poitiers”, adds a traveler.
Faced with this ambient chaos, how can we keep a cool head? A psychologist enlightens us.
Storm Benjamin: how to stay the course in the face of the elements?
First of all, Pascal Anger would like to remind you that we are not all equal in the face of this type of event. Some manage to capitulate… and others don’t.
“Nature is reclaiming its rights today and this leaves us perplexed. But this moment perhaps invites us to return to basics. We indeed live in a world where we have cut ourselves off from the natural rhythm of things. Observing, admitting that we do not control everything, is already a form of wisdom”, he admits.
Rather than “victimizing” oneself, finding an “active posture” is also desirable, says the practitioner.
“When the storm hits, we simply have to be patient. All this is momentary… and we cannot plan everything. If some people will lose things in this storm – and are to be pitied – missing a train next door is not dramatic. We just have to adapt. The unexpected is part of life, and it invites us to regulate our emotions, our reactions and to find ways out rather than remaining static”, admits the expert.
The opportunity to rethink our connection to nature and to ourselves
Nature ultimately teaches us here to be more patient. “What scares us, I think, is rather the repetition of these natural disasters. We face a feeling of urgency and this form of helplessness feeds our anxiety. Result: mental health can waver during these climatic events: some people will sleep poorly, others worry about their loved ones.”
Toddlers, sensitive to parental anxiety, also need to be reassured.
“Elderly people, often isolated, may also fear not being visited. Deprived of telephone and connection, they risk being more seriously affected,” warns the psychologist.
“So, rather than remaining alone, at an impasse, we must review our way of observing these phenomena. This is an opportunity to rethink our connection to nature, to others and to ourselves,” concludes Pascal Anger.