Gentle Prepperism: A Roundup of Resources + Tips for Navigating the Next Era
In a world that feels increasingly uncertain, it’s easy to ping-pong between panic and paralysis. But there’s another way: Gentle Prepperism.
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Happy Sunday, Soothers. In a world that feels increasingly terrifying, like a vision of what you knew for so long is sliding out of your hands no matter how hard you grasp, it’s easy to ping-pong between panic and paralysis. Everybody’s throwing around terms like collapse. Climate disasters are ramping up. The news scrolls by with warnings about water shortages, power grids, economic instability. And oh yeah, everyone is talking about prepping.
But what does prepping even mean when you live in a condo with barely enough room for your tea kettle, let alone a pantry you’re supposed to somehow fill with six months of rice and beans? And you have to work? And you’re frozen, scared and easily overwhelmed? And you’re a perfectionistic black & white thinker who completely goes blank at the thought of having to put together a go bag?
It’s overwhelming. It’s confusing. It’s scary. And for many of us—especially the sensitive, the overthinkers, the perfectionists—it’s enough to shut us down entirely.
But I believe there’s another way, a middle path rooted in grounded action, emotional regulation, and deep wisdom.
I call this approach Gentle Prepperism.
I’ve been writing and thinking for years about how to live meaningfully in a time when everything seems to be unraveling. And along the way, I coined this term, Gentle Prepperism. It’s prepping, but make it nervous system-regulated, spiritually grounded, compassionate, community-oriented, resilient, done little by little, and most of all: empowering, not fear-based.
Gentle Prepperism is a trauma-sensitive, spiritually rooted, and nervous-system-friendly approach to preparing for societal and ecological collapse. It’s not about stockpiling bunkers or operating from fear. It’s about slowly, sustainably building the internal and external resources we’ll need to face the future — anchored in values, self-trust, and relational resilience.
It asks:
How can I decentralize my life, bit by bit?
How can I tend to my body and nervous system while tending to my land or community?
How can I prepare—not to survive in isolation, but to live with meaning and care in changing times?
Most importantly, my goal with Gentle Prepperism is to offer an antidote to collapse overwhelm.
It doesn’t bypass grief or fear or what actions need to be taken and change that needs to happen, but it does offer tools for metabolizing, so we can respond with integrity, slowness, agency, empowerment and presence.
Gentle Prepperism is an antidote to panic prepping and doomsday spiraling. It’s the opposite of embracing scarcity, hoarding guns in a bunker and deciding our neighbors will be our competition. It’s an approach to collapse that’s rooted in steady, wise, relational preparation, not fear or urgency. It says: you don’t need a bunker; you need community. You don’t need to do everything at once; you just need to start. You don’t need to be perfect; you need to be resourced.
I intend this post to be my central resource around Gentle Prepperism, so you can refer to it again and again, and see comments that have been added on by others.
Here, I’ll share what are my top Gentle Prepperism tips, both emotional and logistical.
Mind you, I am NOT any sort of prepper expert, or therapist, or, gardening expert, or well, anything “official” — I’m simply a human, like you, doing her best to prepare for these times with steadiness, empowerment, resiliency, and in doable ways. Always do your own research, read from experts, and follow your own knowledge and intuition. This is certainly not any sort of exhaustive list.
My tip for how to use this list without more overwhelm? Write down all my tips on a piece of paper, one by each line (or print the list out). Cut them each up into separate strips, and throw them in a hat or bowl. Pick one at random. That is your theme to focus on for the next few months or so. When you feel you have that one handled as much as you can, pick another one from the hat or bowl, and go there. Rinse and repeat.
I would really, really love for you all to drop your Gentle Prepperism tips, questions, resources, thoughts in the comments. We’re going to need all the wisdom from each other we can get.
Remember, what you think is a tip that is “obvious” or “silly,” might be a total lightbulb helpful moment for somebody else. Share!
My Top 12 Gentle Prepperism Tips:
Build community in person. This to me is the absolute #1 non-negotiable on the official Gentle Prepperism list. Prioritize this at all costs. I’m talking about, might it make sense for you to move back closer to family or friends or where you know more people? Really consider that. Otherwise, start finding a church, book club, political group. Start hosting potlucks. Stop and talk to neighbors on the street. Start volunteering or going to social events even when you don’t want to. This is not the time to worry about being awkward or cringe. Remember, also: Your “community” might not be best friends or even people you deeply connect with on a friendship level or hang out with socially all the time. It might be the neighbor who lets you borrow tools, the barista who knows your name, or the people in your local AA group or book club.
Here’s a question: How many people within a half or one-mile radius know your name, or any meaningful details about you? Do you have a person in that radius who would like, take care of your cat if you went away, or vice versa? Or water your plants? If the answer is “none” or “fewer than I’d like,” what steps do you have to take to change that?
For my checklist folks, here are some tips…Say hello to your neighbors. Ask about their pets, their gardens, their stories.
Attend or start a monthly potluck, book club, game night, walking group, or meal share.
Join a mutual aid group, climate resilience circle, or spiritual circle in your area (try Meetup, Facebook groups, or your local library/community center).
Volunteer locally—libraries, food banks, shelters, community gardens.
Faith communities, even if you’re not religious, can be incredible sources of connection and support.
Local farmers’ markets and co-ops are often hubs of like-minded folks.
Public libraries often host free classes, discussion groups, and workshops.
Start perusing bulletin boards at local spaces and make it a goal to go to one offering a month
“Do you want to swap garden produce each week?”
“I make soup on Sundays—would you like me to drop off a jar?”
“I’ve got a tool you can borrow anytime.”
“Want to go in on a bulk food order together?”
Connection can feel terrifying and vulnerable, especially for HSPs or neurodivergent folks. Go slow. Regulate. Remind yourself: you’re safe, and you’re doing something critical for you and others.
Build emotional resilience: In times of collapse, emotional resilience isn’t just a nice-to-have. I think it’s an essential survival skill. To me, this skill is way more important than a few extra cans of beans. The external world may feel chaotic, unpredictable, and even terrifying, but your inner landscape can be a refuge of steadiness and clarity. Building emotional resilience means cultivating the capacity to feel intense emotions — grief, fear, uncertainty — without being overwhelmed or shut down by them. It’s about learning how to regulate your nervous system so that you can respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively or freezing in place.
Starting simple can make a profound difference. Journaling—like morning pages, my fave—is a beautiful way to unspool tangled thoughts and feelings, creating space to process what’s coming up. Meditation, even just for five minutes a day, trains the mind to return to calm and presence amidst noise. Adding in nervous system regulation practices, like breathwork, tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique), or somatic movement—helps your body release stored stress and restore balance.
This inner steadiness becomes a powerful form of preparation. When you can remain calm during uncertainty, you’re able to make clearer decisions, communicate more effectively, and hold space for others. Emotional resilience supports adaptability and creativity, helping you face loss, change, and transition with grace. It also nourishes your immune system and overall health— critical for thriving in challenging times.
Above all, emotional resilience is a practice of self-compassion and radical acceptance. It’s a daily commitment to tending your inner world with the same care you might give a garden or a fire. As the external landscape shifts and sometimes collapses, your ability to hold steady within becomes one of your most sacred and practical tools.
Get comfortable with discomfort: One of the most overlooked forms of preparation is simply practicing being uncomfortable. In modern life, many of us have become deeply conditioned to avoid even mild discomfort—temperature shifts, hunger pangs, boredom, silence. But in a time of disruption, the ability to tolerate and adapt to physical discomfort is a total superpower.
You don’t need to go full wilderness survivalist to start. The key is to build your adaptability muscle gently, intentionally, and safely. This isn’t about punishment or deprivation; it’s about remembering what you’re capable of.Here are simple, accessible ways to start getting okay with discomfort, no matter where you live:
Sleep with the windows open on a cool night instead of using climate control. Notice how your body responds.
Take a cold shower or rinse off in cool water for 30 seconds at the end of your regular shower. Breathe through the sensation.
Spend time outdoors in “uncomfortable” weather. A short walk in heat, rain, wind, or cold (if tolerated!) can help you recalibrate your relationship to the elements.
Turn off screens and artificial light for an evening. Light candles or go to bed when the sun goes down. Experience a different rhythm.
Eat a simple meal without seasoning or heat. Something like cold rice and beans or hard-boiled eggs and greens.
Try sleeping on the floor or a yoga mat for a night (if you’re able), or skip a pillow. What do you learn about your body?
Carry your groceries home instead of driving (if accessible) or walk/bike somewhere instead of defaulting to convenience.
Have a “no tech” day or afternoon. See what arises when you can’t Google, stream, or scroll your discomfort away.
Skip a comfort routine—like morning coffee or scrolling to sleep—and observe your reaction with compassion.
Go camping if you can, even in your backyard or honestly even your living room. Learn to cook over a flame. Feel what it’s like to sleep outside the normal bounds of control.
The point isn’t to suffer. It’s to become familiar with sensations, emotions, and limitations that might arise in less convenient situations—and to know you can move through them. This builds trust in your own adaptability and fosters a kind of embodied confidence that no external situation can take away.
The truth is: collapse will certainly ask us to live with less comfort, less certainty, and less control. But with practice, we begin to see that we don’t need all of those things to feel grounded, capable, and okay. We CAN do hard things!
Store a little extra food: One of the gentlest and most practical places to start prepping is with a small, flexible food reserve. Not a six-month bunker pantry or a prepper palace, just enough to feel grounded for 1–2 weeks if something disrupts your access to groceries, power, or water.
This could be a snowstorm, a power outage, supply chain delay, a COVID-style lockdown.
That said, food prep is exactly where many of us get most overwhelmed. What to store? How much? What if you don’t have the space, budget, or mental bandwidth? AUGH!!!! I completely froze here—until I asked ChatGPT to help me make a simple plan. (Whatever you think of ChatGPT, I think where it can really shine for HSPs and recovering perfectionists is in situations where we get overwhelmed and need somebody else to tell us what to do. Sometimes we just need someone [or something] to break it down for us in baby steps.)
Here are a few practical prompts you can ask ChatGPT to help with:
“Can you help me build a 2-week emergency food plan for two adults with no access to a fridge?”
“What shelf-stable, gluten-free, dairy-free foods would be good for a small emergency pantry?”
“Can you give me a checklist of affordable, long-lasting pantry staples for someone who only has one kitchen cabinet to store them?”
“What can I store in a tiny apartment with no garage or storage space that would help in a blackout or storm?”
“I have X dietary need and Y amount of space—what are some good foods to keep on hand just in case?”
For those in small spaces, here are some tangible, doable ideas:
Use under-bed storage bins or stackable bins in closets for dry goods like rice, beans, canned fish, shelf-stable milk, pasta, or oats.
Prioritize calorie-dense, space-efficient foods: nut butters, protein powder, electrolyte packets, lentils, dried fruit, or vacuum-sealed meals.
Store water in collapsible jugs that can be tucked away until needed.
Consider vertical space—shelves above cabinets or high in closets are often underused and perfect for food bins.
Try a “one-bin prepper pantry”: just one container with a 1–2 week stash of your essentials. That’s enough.
And if you’re on a tight budget, just start where you are. A few cans of soup. A bag of rice. An extra jar of peanut butter. Add one or two things each grocery trip. You don’t need to do it all at once. A little food cushion, tailored to your needs, can go a long way toward helping you feel more grounded and empowered when things feel uncertain.
Learn the basics of your home: One of the most empowering (and often overlooked) steps in gentle prepperism is simply learning how your home works. Whether you rent a small apartment, live in a condo, or are in a house on your own, getting familiar with your space can turn confusion and helplessness into more confidence. You don’t need to be a handyman or a DIY queen. You just need to know a few key things that help you feel in relationship with your space, not afraid of or intimiated by it. A few tips:
Find your circuit breaker: It’s usually in a hallway, basement, closet, or utility area. Open it up and look at what’s labeled. If it’s not labeled, consider flipping one switch at a time during the day (when it’s safe) to see which areas each breaker controls. Label them with a pencil or tape.
Know how to shut off your water: In apartments or condos, this may be under your kitchen sink or in a utility closet. Ask your landlord or building management if you’re unsure. You should also know where to shut off the toilet water (usually a small valve behind the toilet).
What would you do in a no-toilet scenario? What would you do if your toilet wouldn’t flush for 24 hours? A few jugs of stored water can help with a manual flush.
Have light: Ask yourself, what would I do if the power went out for 12 hours? Keep a small power bank charged for your phone. Have a working flashlight (not just your phone light). Even one battery-powered lantern can make your space feel safer and more navigable in the dark. Solar-powered lights or USB-rechargeable flashlights are great for apartments with access to windows or balconies.Prep your car, if you have one: Keep a bottle of water, some snacks, a flashlight, maybe a small blanket or sleeping bag in your car. I’ve also started never letting my gas tank fall below half full.
Base your plans around likelier scenarios in your geographical area: You don’t need to prep for a tsunami in Kansas, or a snowstorm in Miami (ha ha, at least not yet, who knows these days with climate change…). One of the most grounding, sanity-saving steps in gentle prepperism is zooming in on what’s actually realistic where you live—and letting the rest go. For example, I’m in the Blue Ridge Mountains in western Virginia, and while a major earthquake isn’t on my radar (probably?), a multi-day power outage from a summer thunderstorm or winter ice storm? Very possible. So instead of spiraling into prepping for every possible scenario, I ask: What disruptions are most common in my region? What happens here when things go wrong—and what would help me feel more steady if that happened again?
That might look like:
A backup heat source or blankets if you lose power in the winter
Extra water if your region is prone to boil advisories or outages
Shelf-stable food if you live in a rural area where supply trucks get delayed in storms
Evacuation supplies if you're in a wildfire, hurricane, or flood zone
Protect the energetic field of you and your home: In times of collapse, energetic protection isn’t just a spiritual nicety; it’s a form of survival. As fear, instability, and aggression rise in the collective, our homes and bodies can easily absorb that chaos. Protecting your energy helps you stay grounded and discerning, and protecting your home creates a boundary that says: this space is sacred, and safe. No ill may pass through this threshold. There are real dangers in a world unraveling. Energetic boundaries help you meet those challenges without becoming porous, scattered, or reactive. I’ll be teaching more about energetic cleansing, grounding, and protection for you and your home on July 8 in the Trust the Universe membership—including rituals, tools, and daily practices to help you build energetic resilience and protection of your home as part of your gentle prepperism path.
Start learning to live with less now, before an external situation forces you to: In a collapsing world, where systems of extraction and endless growth are starting to crack, one of the most powerful things we can do is divest from the lie that our worth is tied to our income, our productivity, or the stuff we own. We need to get more honest with ourselves. What do I ACTUALLY need to feel nourished, safe, and connected? What have I been taught to need by capitalism? Start experimenting. Track your spending, and ask what’s truly essential. Sell or give away what no longer serves you. Downsize your expectations, your closet. Practice living with less to build the skill of resilience now, not later. Instead of chasing a higher salary, try calculating the lowest annual income you could comfortably (or even not-so-comfortably) live on. What shifts when that becomes the baseline? Collapse will absolutely force many of us to live on less—but we can meet that moment with curiosity, clarity, and empowerment rather than panic.
In this tip, I also think about this post a lot and who we actually need to be learning from:
folks who have always been forced to navigate beyond the rigid confines of capitalism (disabled folks, people who labor without pay, people who make street money etc) are uniquely situated to offer wisdom & insight as this system dies. what will be interesting to observe is how willing other folks are to be led by people who are heavily stigmatized by capitalism's programming.Connect to something bigger than you, release control, and practice surrender: In a world where so much is out of our hands, trying to control everything becomes a fast track to burnout, anxiety, and despair. But collapse invites us into a different posture: surrender. This does not mean giving up. This does not mean passivity. But the spiritual act of loosening our grip and connecting to something greater than ourselves and trusting that somewhere, somehow, there is some sort of plan. This source for you might be the divine, the earth, spirit, source, ancestors, the universe. It might be your inner wisdom or the natural rhythms of life itself. The point is to remember that you are not alone, and you are not in charge of the entire outcome. My post, “Surrender small so you can surrender big” may be of help here.
Begin to identify your collapse and post-collapse unique skillset: In times of upheaval, everyone’s gifts become vital. Whether you’re a healer, a weaver, a caregiver, a gardener, an engineer, your skills can be a lifeline—not only for yourself but for your community. You have skills nobody else does, I promise. You are needed. Knowing your unique strengths helps you find your place in the new landscape, build connection, and contribute meaningfully. I think a lot about the small village I now live in. We have several talented gardeners. A fellow who knows how to repair TVs and stereos. Two horse surgeons/vets! A few public school teachers. A couple of therapists. Many more. Me, my skills? Writing, nervous system regulation, magic, ritual, a bit of herbalism. Energy work. Intuition. Faith. Spirituality. Hosting group circles. Compassion. Teaching others how to be in the liminal and surrender control, all of which I believe will be more needed than ever.
Take time to reflect: What do you do naturally that others seek you out for? What talents could support resilience, healing, or rebuilding? What knowledge or experience might help others navigate uncertainty? Deepa Iyer created a helpful system in collaboration with Solidarity Is and Building Movement Project that guides you in discovering the role you best play within a social change ecosystem. This tool can be a powerful way to connect your unique skills to meaningful community roles and movements, both now and in whatever comes next. Your unique skills are part of the rich web of support that will carry us through collapse and into regeneration.Believe in yourself as a helper-leader of this new era. Highly sensitive people often carry deep self-doubt and underestimate their unique strengths and abilities. In times of upheaval, this mindset simply won’t serve you or the communities that need your gifts. You are capable. You are needed. You will play a vital role in helping others navigate uncertainty, build resilience, and create new ways of living. Start shifting this belief now. Notice when self-criticism creeps in and gently remind yourself: your sensitivity is a strength, your intuition a guide, and your courage a light. The world needs your voice, your care, and your leadership more than ever. Step fully into your power. You are not alone—and you are absolutely ready. Read my post, Are we here to power down the systems?
This is certainly obviously not an exhaustive list, so, I’d love to hear your Gentle Prepperism tips and resources—no matter how small, obvious, or beginner they might feel. Sometimes the most “basic” idea is exactly what someone else needs. Leave them in the comments so we can weave a collective toolkit of resilience, wisdom, and care.
And I want to close by saying this: yes, the material matters. Go bags, extra food, flashlights, water storage—all of it has its place. It’s a great idea to get a small camping stove, a water filter, and a solar-powered battery pack.
But in my heart, at at the core of Gentle Prepperism is this: I believe the most important tools we’ll carry into this next era—other than community—are emotional regulation, adaptability, and the ability to move through transitions, grief and loss with grace and steadiness and care.
We’re not just prepping for disasters. We’re preparing to stay open, grounded, empowered, capable, and kind in a world that’s changing.
And we’re prepping to believe in ourselves. That we are powerful, resilient, smart.
That we can do this.
That, to me, is the most radical and sacred preparation of all.
xo
Catherine
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After a wildfire season in California when a lot of people I knew needed to evacuate, I realized: a go _bag_ seemed hard, but a go _list_? Much easier. Especially if the most common kinds of emergencies in your area have at least a little advance warning.