JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Even though Hurricane Matthew hasn't hit the Northeast Florida area yet, it could be affecting you or your family members mentally.
It's important to communicate what's going on and prepare for the hurricane without causing panic. So how do you talk to your family members about it?
Experts say it's all about the delivery, especially if you're breaking the news of Hurricane Matthew to a young child or elderly relative.
Dr. Tracy Alloway, an associate professor of psychology at the University of North Florida, said it's important to remember the three R's: Readiness, response and recovery.
"Be sure to use simple and concrete terms when explaining it to them, so we don't want to use heightened, emotional or fear words,” Alloway said. "We don't want to say, 'It's going to be terrible.' We can be honest and say, 'We're not really sure.'"
Alloway said it's important to make the whole family aware of what's going on and get them involved in preparation.
MORE: Preparing children for hurricanes | Keeping children busy during storms
"They can organize the canned foods or bring blankets and get ready so they feel like they're part of the process,” Alloway said.
How you and your family respond to a hurricane is crucial, she said.
“You have this huge surge of adrenaline running through us,” Alloway said. “We want to cope. We want to be able to survive and get through that."
MORE: Information on PTSD from hurricanes | Emotional survival tips for hurricanes
To ease the anxiety and fear, you can divert family members' attention with activities, Alloway said.
"Playing games -- shadow games are fun, and kids love making little dog shapes on the wall with shadows. Playing word games -- 20 questions,” Alloway said.
Parents need to be aware of changes in mood, irritability or loss of appetite during the recovery process.
"It's the after phase when we're talking about psychological impact, and it's something we may not even notice right away,” Alloway said. “Symptoms like anxiety, depression, even post-traumatic stress disorder, depending on the severity of the storm."
Planning tasks with neighbors can help, Alloway said.
"It could be saying to your children, 'Our neighbors are also struggling. Let's go over together and cook a combined meal. Or let's do a cleanup project as a neighborhood,' so they're connecting with other people and realizing that this is a shared experience."