Do you pride yourself on being a great friend? Do you love to be the person at work who everyone depends on? Can your family call on you no matter what? If your answer to these questions is yes, then you’re clearly the kind of person that enjoys putting other people’s needs before their own. 

This is a very admirable quality to have and will certainly make you are an invaluable part of people’s lives. You may already be someone that everyone can trust and respect, but how would you fare in an emergency situation? Below are four ways to make sure that you are the person that everyone can rely on in an emergency.

In an emergency, it is vital that you stay calm and think with a level head. While those around you might let increased adrenaline take control, a true leader will stay calm and collected no matter what. Simple breathing exercises will help you to do this. They will prevent you from feeling light headed and will give you the opportunity to organize your thoughts. If you can stay calm in an emergency, you will find that people are more likely to listen to you and be comforted by what you are saying.

Although it isn’t nice to imagine the worst happening, it is important always to be prepared. Find out as much as you can about what you should do in different emergency situations. That way you will have some key pieces of information to fall back on if there aren’t any experts around to help. This is surprisingly easy to do. For instance, if you want to learn about CPR, you can view website that will tell you everything you need to know. 

In an emergency situation, nothing is ever straight forward. Therefore, a key skill to have is the ability to think outside the box. Work on improving your problem-solving abilities. Even in everyday situations, you can practice thinking about what you might do if certain obstacles got in your way. If you are able to view problems calmly and pragmatically, they won’t throw you even in a pressured environment. Instead, you will begin to view problems as something that you are more than capable of overcoming.

To become someone who is trusted in an emergency, you must have a record of reliability. In extreme situations, you will need to make sure that the people around you trust in your decision-making abilities. This will be hard to achieve if you are known for being flaky or indecisive. It will also be unlikely if your people skills are lacking and you have a reputation for letting people down. Make sure that your reputation works in your favor. Keep your promises, meet your deadlines, and earn people’s trust. This will set you apart as someone who can be relied upon no matter what.