Connecting Winter Peace of Mind: Small Holistic Disaster Preparedness

I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy to everyone affected by the recent earthquake.
I sincerely pray that calm days will return as soon as possible to those spending time in anxiety, and to their precious animal family members.

I am praying from the bottom of my heart that peaceful times will return as soon as possible to those who are spending anxious hours, and to their precious animal family members.

Just as I was about to fall asleep,
the one who noticed the change first was—
my dog🐶.

Unusually, while growling low and softly,
he stared at me,
as if trying to catch my gaze.

There was an atmosphere of him quietly trying to tell me something.

A few seconds later,
the door began to rattle,
and although it wasn't huge, a "nauseating shake"
continued.

In my arms as I held him,
I could feel my dog's heartbeat racing...
I said, "It's okay. I'm watching over you now,"

offering comfort just with my voice.
I opened an app and YouTube,

and checked the situation on Weathernews.
—Seismic intensity 6+ in Tohoku.

Feeling a stir deep in my chest,

I felt a "caution mode"
engage inside my body.
It wasn't about being overly sensitive,

but I believe my "natural sensor" as an HSP was at work.
I am in the Tokyo metropolitan area,

but the long shaking, which I hadn't felt in a while, made my heart race,
and I was completely wide awake.

Admitting honestly that you were "scared."

Not blaming yourself for feeling anxious.

Quiet disaster prevention care
starts there.

The power of dogs to feel a "microscopic world"

What I felt again this time
was the sharpness of a dog's "natural sensor."

Dogs sometimes
perceive subtle changes that are hard for humans to feel
before they happen.

・Low-frequency vibrations
・Air pressure
・Creaking sounds of the house
・Slight discomfort in the ground

They quickly synthesize these small pieces of information,
and sometimes express it through their behavior
in the form of "something is strange."

For example...

・Suddenly not leaving your side
・Staring fixedly at one point
・Growling low
・Walking pace becoming restless

These might be
"a little voice from your beloved dog"
saying, "I'm a little anxious."

Dog owners don't need to brace themselves,
just by calmly responding, "I notice it too,"
the dog will feel a sense of security.

The sensitivity of a dog and the sensitivity of an HSP.
Those two can sometimes be a very gentle match.

Sensitivity becomes the "soft strength" of preparedness

Are sensitive people weak during disasters?
People often think so, but it's actually the opposite.

・Remembering the quality of the shaking well
・Easier to judge the accuracy of information
・Noticing differences in small sounds
・Able to react immediately to changes in a dog's body temperature or expression

These are all
important antennas for protecting yourself and your beloved dog.

However, it is also unique to HSPs that they get tired easily when they receive too much stimulation.

After the shaking,
place your hand on your chest and take three deep breaths.
Just by doing that, your autonomic nervous system will quietly calm down.

Rather than "disaster prevention you must do,"
"disaster prevention that calms you and your dog."

I think this fits the style of HSP dog owners.

Connecting "seasonal disaster prevention" from a holistic perspective

When people hear disaster prevention,

they often think,

"I have to have everything perfect"

"It seems like it requires expert knowledge."
But from a holistic perspective,
you can prepare from "smaller places."

1. Reducing the "dryness" unique to winter

Dryness makes the body stiff,
makes breathing shallow,
and makes both dogs and humans feel anxious.

・Just raising the room humidity from 50% to 55%
・Moving your dog's bed to a "draft-free corner"

This is also a proper "winter disaster prevention."

It is the foundation for daily life
to protect your mind and body.

2. Blankets can also be "tools for peace of mind"

A power outage in winter is a major risk for body temperature drop.

Just by keeping a blanket with a texture your dog likes
near your go-bag,
you can wrap them up and cuddle even at night.

If you want to add one more thing,
an aluminum-lined blanket
has high heat retention and is reassuring.

It can also be used for cold protection on flooring in daily life.

3. "House scent" care after shaking

When shelves move or items shift,
the "scent of the house" can change slightly.

For a dog, this is also a source of anxiety.

・Ventilate for just a few minutes
・Lightly scent with fir/citrus/frankincense (at less than half the normal strength)

Just by doing this,
it tells the dog, "It's the same house as always."

For dogs, who are creatures of habit,
"as always" is the greatest sense of security.

Doing "just one thing" today is okay

Disaster prevention starts with one step you can take today
with your beloved dog.

・Put a towel or toy with a "scent that calms your dog" in your go-bag
・Check the size of the harness just once
・Take a deep breath for just 5 seconds to lower your own tension
・Increase your water stock by just one bottle

When you are anxious, "taking one more action"
can also have the power to quietly calm your mind.

You don't have to blame yourself for being scared of the earthquake,
or your beloved dog for trembling while being held.
In that moment,

we were protecting each other as much as we could.
And today, too,

while listening to the seasonal air,
we will continue to stack up "small winter disaster prevention"
that we can do together with our dogs.
That is,

I think, the perfect, gentle, and realistic way to prepare
for HSP dog owners.