I'd like to start this article with how I start many of my teaching programs and seminars – with The 3 Survival Rules of 3. In extreme circumstances, humans can survive:

3 hours without shelter

3 days without water

3 weeks without food

I didn't invent these rules. Mother Nature did. This mantra has been around for many years. I'm a big fan of simple, easy to remember survival phrases like this. Sudden survival scenarios can feel overwhelming. The mind tends to go a bit crazy with panic and fear. Even simple tasks become complex. The emotions that come with being lost, stranded, or in danger can become paralyzing, overwhelming, and just flat-out scary. Easy to remember phrases like The 3 Survival Rules of 3 can help survivors regain balance and calm by helping to establish critical survival priorities. Often, it's the simple things that matter the most in a survival scenario – like getting your priorities mixed up and pursuing food before shelter or water.