Third Day After the Outbreak

Time frame: 3 Days after Outbreak
Phase: Self-Sufficiency

At this point, everyone in your group will probably still be on edge since the inception of the Outbreak. It is absolutely vital that you pay attention to the well being of your group, as you are relying on them for your survival, as much as they are relying on you. It is important to keep the following in mind:

• Everyone who sees or experiences a zombie outbreak is affected by it in some way.
• It is normal to feel anxious about your own safety and that of your family and close friends.
• Profound sadness, grief, and anger are normal reactions to zombie outbreak.
• Everyone has different needs and different ways of coping.
• It is common to want to strike back at the zombies who have caused great pain. It is important to realize that at this point, your goal is survival and self-sufficiency. Trying to go on the offensive against a zombie outbreak will probably get your group overrun.

Those in your group probably will not have been sleeping well and the stress of the situation may start having adverse effects. Identifying these signs will help you help your group deal with stress:

• Difficulty sleeping.
• Low threshold of frustration.
• Limited attention span.
• Headaches/stomach problems.
• Tunnel vision/muffled hearing.
• Colds or flu-like symptoms.
• Disorientation or confusion.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Depression, sadness.
• Feelings of hopelessness.
• Mood-swings and easy bouts of crying.
• Overwhelming guilt and self-doubt.

It is very important to be able to distinguish those that are suffering from stress, and those that are infected. Stay on the safe side and quarantine as necessary. Try to maintain a sense of calm and confidence within your group, or one of them may have a lapse in judgment and create an opening in your defenses, or worse, let the zombies in (a la Day of the Dead).