Caught in the Storm: Why We Buy Umbrellas to Prepare for Rain but Not Tools to Survive Stress

After spending two hours in pouring down rain watching my 9-year-old son play soccer, it got me thinking about the unpredictability of rain and the purchasing patterns of umbrellas…

Wait, don't go! Stick with me here, I promise the analogy will eventually make sense!

We’ve all been there—caught in the rain, drenched, cold, and frustrated. Even though we own at least one umbrella (and probably a few more lost in car trunks or office drawers), on this day we didn't realize we'd need one or we forgot it in the chaos of life.

The irony is we usually purchase umbrellas in advance—not because we know exactly when it will rain, but because we know it will. It’s inevitable. 

Rain is part of life. So, we prepare. We plan. We carry one just in case.

In fact, research shows that people purchase an average of 2.4 umbrellas per year, with some going through 40 or more in a lifetime—most often due to breakage or forgetfulness. We buy them just to be ready, not because we expect rain every day. And yet, even with all that preparation, over 28% of people report getting caught without one when it mattered most.

When it comes to the storms we face most often—chronic stress, toxic work environments, emotional overload—we are woefully unprepared. Despite the inevitable breakdowns in our personal and professional lives—we fail to invest in the tools, training, and techniques that could keep us grounded, dry, and resilient.

There are no umbrellas for our inner worlds. No go-bags for our nervous systems. No backup plans for our burnout. And yet, these storms don’t come once in a while. They come often. For some, they never stop.

The Umbrella Principle

Umbrellas are a perfect example of a product we buy preemptively. We rarely buy them because of a current storm—we buy them knowing that storms will come. They’re inexpensive, easy to store, and provide an immediate solution to discomfort. 

Despite this, how often do we still end up unprepared, soaked on the sidewalk, caught off guard?

This paradox happens because:

• We forget to carry an umbrella when we need it.
• We don’t replace broken or lost ones.
• We assume we won’t be out long enough to need one.
• We underestimate the storm.

The result? A familiar and uncomfortable outcome that could have been prevented with a little foresight.

The Illusion of Preparedness

We understand the value of preparing for literal weather. We:

• Stock up on umbrellas and raincoats.
• Build storm shelters and install sump pumps.
• Cancel plans when the forecast says “severe."

We don’t wait until we’re drenched to think about shelter. We don’t shame ourselves for needing protection. But when the rain is invisible—when the storm is emotional, relational, or cultural—we dismiss it.

• We push through stress.
• We normalize non-stop working.
• We accept anxiety.
• We tolerate toxic bosses.
• We silence suffering.
• We camouflage conflict.
• We pretend loneliness is strength.

The Real Storms We Face

Here are the most frequent and damaging storms people weather every day—often without recognition, support, or shelter:

• Chronic Stress: constant pressure with no space to recover
• Workplace Trauma: harm from layoffs, public shaming, exclusion, or micromanagement
• Toxic Leadership: managers who lead with fear, disconnection, or blame
• Unresolved Conflict: tension swept under the rug until it poisons a team
• Loneliness & Isolation: disconnection even in crowded offices or on video calls
• Anxiety & Overwhelm: performance pressure that never turns off
• Perfectionism & People-Pleasing: survival strategies masquerading as work ethic
• Identity Threat: feeling unseen, unsafe, or unwelcome because of who you are
• Moral Injury: being asked to betray your values for productivity or loyalty

These storms don’t just soak us. They erode us.

Unlike weather, these storms don’t show up in forecasts. But their likelihood is higher. 

Every human will experience stress. Every workplace will face breakdowns in communication, culture, or leadership.

Still, we don’t plan for them the way we do for rain—even though stress-related burnout and anxiety now account for over 50% of workplace health costs.

The Predictable Storms

Now consider how we approach the storms of life at work and home—conflict, miscommunication, unmet expectations, stress overload, burnout.

These challenges are not only predictable; they are guaranteed. There is no “maybe” about whether interpersonal or performance challenges will arise. They’re part of being human.

And yet, most of us:

• Don’t “buy the umbrella” of communication training or support tools.
• Wait until breakdowns happen before seeking help.
• Assume we should be able to “handle it” or push through.
• Downplay the warning signs of burnout or disconnection.

Instead of building resilience and readiness, we rely on hope and avoidance—often until the damage is already done.

Where’s the Umbrella for This?

We would never say, “Just tough it out” to someone standing in a hurricane, tornado, or thunderstorm. So why do we say it to someone burned out, anxious, or emotionally exhausted?

What if we started treating stress like we treat rain? Not as a sign of weakness—but as a signal to protect, prepare, and perform wisely.

• What if every person knew how to navigate stress, set boundaries, and recover from conflict?
• What if every leader had a toolkit of effective resilience practices, just like they carry an umbrella in their bag?
• What if every organization prepared for storms before they hit, with upgraded systems including tools, training, and techniques?

That would mean:

• Equipping teams with nervous system tools and co-regulation practices.
• Building cultures where emotional safety is as important as physical safety.
• Training leaders to be umbrellas—shelters from harm, not sources of it.
• Making stress response planning as standard as fire drills or cybersecurity protocols.

We’d spend less time cleaning up damage done by storms of stress—and more time creating clarity, connection, and capacity.

What Counts as an Umbrella?

Umbrellas don’t stop the rain—they simply change how we experience it. 

The same is true for the inner storms we face. While we can’t prevent stress, conflict, or burnout entirely, we can carry tools that help us move through them grounded, protected, and more resilient.

So what does that look like in real life? Here are some of the “umbrellas” that can help:

• A 2-minute nervous system reset using breath or movement.
• A daily check-in with your head, heart, and gut to cultivate coherence before the day begins.
• Practices that build self-awareness and expand capacity—like journaling, walking, or regulating after stress.
• Engage in conscious, coherent, and connected conversations with creativity, courage, and compassion.
• Practice co-regulation—to calm, attune, and connect with others under pressure.

These umbrellas may look different depending on the setting—but they all serve the same purpose: protecting people from harm while building strength, skill, and support before the storm arrives.

Build Better Weather Systems in Workplaces

It’s not just on individuals to carry umbrellas—leaders and organizations are responsible for the weather systems people work within. If the environment is constantly stormy, even the strongest umbrellas will collapse under pressure.

We need to move beyond reactive crisis management and into proactive capacity-building cultures. That means equipping people before the breakdown, not just cleaning up the damage after. 

If we wouldn’t build a workplace without fire safety plans or cybersecurity protocols, why do we build them without stress recovery systems or emotional safety practices?

Weather Systems for Workplaces & Wise Leaders:

• Replacing outdated feedback systems with human-centered partnering models.
• Establish Culture codes that embed safety, boundaries, and belonging into everyday ways of working ensuring psychologically safe spaces through rituals, check-ins, and shared values.
• Make embodied safety and stress literacy a leadership priority—not an afterthought.
• Embed nervous system tools into onboarding, performance conversations, and culture.
• Implement “Stress drills” or recovery plans for high-intensity seasons (like year-end reviews or transitions).
• Utilize Group regulation rituals (e.g., 3-minute balanced breathing before meetings).
• Utilize Performance Partnering sessions to revisit expectations, resolve misalignment, and recalibrate with compassion.

Organizations that thrive in the long run are the ones that weatherproof their culture—through tools, training, and trauma-informed practices that support the human beings doing the work.

Reflection

Take a few minutes to reflect on:

• What kind of storms show up most often in your life or work?
• What “umbrellas” do you have in place to support you when those storms hit?
• What tools, practices, or training do you wish you had when the last storm hit?
• How might you invest in your resilience before the next storm arrives?
• How might you become a shelter for others—someone who brings calm during chaos?

You Were Never Meant to Do This Alone

If you’ve found yourself caught in the storm without an umbrella—soaked in stress, burned out, or overwhelmed—you didn’t fail. The system likely failed you.

Most of us weren’t taught how to navigate emotional storms. We didn’t grow up with language for nervous system regulation or models of healthy feedback. We were taught to tough it out, “just keep swimming”, or stay silent. And when that didn’t work, we were often told we just weren’t strong enough.

But needing protection isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. Just like carrying an umbrella is a sign of readiness, building embodiment practices, nervous system tools and relational resilience is a sign of self-respect and growth.

This isn’t about shame—it’s about permission. Permission to prepare. Permission to learn new tools. And permission to build systems that support all of us through the inevitable storms ahead.

Conclusion: Build the Shelter Before the Storm Hits

Buying an umbrella won’t stop the rain, but it changes your experience of it - making the experience survivable. It keeps you moving. Dry. Grounded.

Likewise, the storms of stress aren’t going anywhere. But our preparedness—or lack of it—changes everything.

The storms of stress, overwhelm, and exhaustion keep coming—again and again. The only question is: will you be soaked and scrambling, or ready and resilient?

If we can normalize buying an umbrella just in case—maybe it’s time we normalize investing in conscious and coherent communication training, emotional intelligence practices, and nervous system support.

We’ve mastered the art of weatherproofing our homes. 

Now it’s time we learn to stress-proof our humans.

If we can justify buying multiple umbrellas a year just in case of rain, surely we can justify investing in practices, tools, and systems that protect people from the storms they encounter every single day.