Capacity Before Crisis: The Hidden Factor in Recovery
There’s a dangerous misconception in disaster recovery: that resilience alone is the key to survival.
We see headlines about heroic stories. Communities praised for “bouncing back.” Individuals lauded as “resilient.”
But I’m here to say it bluntly: Resilience can fuck off.
Not because resilience doesn’t matter. But because we glorify it as if it can fix everything.
Seven weeks post-disaster, I’m standing in devastated paddocks, walking through destroyed homes, talking to families and individuals. From the outside, the assumption is that things must be “getting better.”
They’re wrong.
Recovery isn’t linear. Some people are moving forward. Some are quietly going backwards. Some are steady. Some are barely holding it together. Smiling in public. Crumbling at home.
And it’s not about character. It’s about capacity before the crisis hit.
What Is Capacity Before Crisis?
Capacity is the invisible foundation beneath resilience.
It includes:
Emotional capacity: the ability to manage stress, process grief, and maintain mental wellbeing.
Financial capacity: savings, insurance knowledge, and contingency planning.
Social capacity: a network of support, connections, and relationships.
Community capacity: local leadership, collaboration, and access to resources.
When capacity is strong before a crisis, people cope better. They make decisions with clarity. They mobilise faster. They find hope amid chaos.
When capacity is thin, the disaster exposes it. Not because people are weak. Not because they aren’t trying. But because trauma compounds existing strain.
Low Capacity Is Not Failure
If you’re reading this thinking, “My capacity was already low…”, hear me clearly: low capacity is not a life sentence.
It’s not a flaw. It’s not weakness.
Capacity gets drained over time, years of drought, financial pressure, relationship strain, unspoken stress. Sometimes the disaster doesn’t create exhaustion; it exposes it.
The good news? Capacity can be rebuilt. Slowly. Deliberately. With support.
It grows through:
Honest conversations
Asking for help earlier, not later
Reconnecting with people instead of withdrawing
Small decisions that restore energy instead of depleting it
Rebuilding capacity isn’t a heroic act in one day. It’s small, steady steps. And for those running on empty, that’s exactly where hope lives.
Why Resilience Alone Isn’t Enough
We love celebrating resilience after a crisis. It makes for good headlines and inspiring stories.
But resilience isn’t built during disaster. It’s drawn from the capacity already in place.
Seven weeks post-disaster, the reality on the ground is clear:
People with strong networks are coping better.
Those who understood their own stress responses are navigating recovery steadier.
Communities with strong local leadership mobilise faster.
Individuals who’ve done the inner work bounce differently.
That isn’t resilience. That’s capacity. And it can be built, intentionally, long before the next crisis hits.
The Real Conversation We Need
If you’re outside disaster-affected areas, stop romanticising resilience. Stop asking, “How resilient are they?”
Instead, ask:
How prepared are we before the next crisis?
How strong is our capacity, emotionally, socially, financially, and communally?
What can we do today to strengthen that foundation?
The cameras will leave. They always do. And when they do, resilience won’t save us. Capacity will.
A Call to Action
If you’re in a position to strengthen capacity, do it.
Support mental health before it reaches crisis point.
Build local networks and community leadership.
Create contingency plans and financial preparedness.
Encourage conversations that are uncomfortable but necessary.
If you’re personally impacted and feel your capacity is low, there is hope. Recovery isn’t a straight line, but it can be navigated. Ask for help. Reconnect. Take small steps. You can rebuild what feels lost.
The real work of recovery begins long before the disaster. And it continues long after the world has moved on.
Because resilience isn’t enough. Capacity is.