By Maureen Pratt | Catholic News Service

Do you know how you react in a crisis?

We can probably recount details of the crises we've endured. Natural disasters, episodes of violence, catastrophic health diagnoses -- if we live through one or more of these, they are etched into our minds quite vividly. But what about how we reacted during these events, and why does it matter?

In writing my new book, "Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough," I learned a great deal about the individual nature of our reactions during a crisis. Some responses are quite appropriate and help us get through it, sometimes even leading us to safety or to help save others. Other responses can actually be a hindrance to our ability to cope, such as if we allow our fear to turn into a hysteria that freezes us from taking any beneficial action.

I found a brilliant example of the real-life reactions of people during a crisis in an excerpt from Pliny the Younger, a young man who lived through the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii and the surrounding area. Even in August of A.D. 79, people reacted differently -- some freezing in place, others fleeing, some praying, some shaking their fist at God and declaring their anger as ashes and toxic debris and gasses descended on them.

Pliny the Younger survived by carefully assessing each route, avoiding the hoards that crowded certain areas. He even managed to save his mother, who had urged him to go without her!

That Pliny the Younger and his mother survived illustrates this possibility for us all in the face of a crisis: We do not have to be plowed under by something catastrophic, nor do we have to give in to our fear. Even Pliny was fearful as he fled. By understanding how we react in a crisis, we can begin to embrace those reactions that are beneficial and reshape those that are not.

Calmness, for example, is hard for many people to have if life is in upheaval. But if we consciously remember to breathe, pause, pray and take time to understand what is going on, then we have a better chance of getting through it more resiliently.

Of course, in a fast-moving natural disaster, action often needs to be swift. Yet today, with modern technology that can predict at least the potential for problems, knowledge about better safety measures and provisions that we can stock in advance, there is plenty we can do before a crisis hits to give ourselves extra protection and peace of mind. We can do our thinking ahead and be able to move fast if required.

My first real-life disaster was living through two tornadoes in one night. I was a child, and my parents had already practiced tornado drills with my brother and me, so we knew what to do. They were calm, we prayed together, and I do not remember being afraid at all.

Sometimes, we think that if we react to a crisis by crumbling into a heap of tears, we have failed. Perhaps some of us could react with less drama. But perhaps, too, it's just an individual way of "emotional deep breathing" that releases powerful tears and fears and leaves us with a better ability to cope.

The more we understand about who we are in a crisis and prepare as best we can, the less we will feel the need to panic!

Pratt's website is www.maureenpratt.com.