“Photos Taken Before Disaster”: 15 Pics That Foreshadow Unfortunate Events

Life is less like a box of chocolates and more of a fog-shrouded, high-speed, non-stop roller-coaster ride. You’ve got ups and downs, sudden twists, terrifying loop-de-loops, and lots of joy mixed with fear. No matter how prepared you might be, sooner or later, life is bound to serve up a big dish of bad luck. If you want to succeed in life, you have to learn to roll with the punches.

And that’s where the ‘Images That Precede Unfortunate Events 2’ Facebook page comes in. It’s an incredibly popular social media project that documents all the things that can go wrong in your life. We’ve collected some of the most wince-worthy images, as featured on the page, where disaster is literally moments from striking. Grab your hard hats and scroll down to check out the best pics, Pandas.

Pictolic wanted to learn about cultivating emotional resilience and bouncing back after unfortunate events, so we reached out to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Wellbeing consultant, self-help book author, and BACP member Hansa Pankhania was kind enough to shed some light on our questions. You'll find her insights as you read on.

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We were very interested in how people can increase their emotional resilience when nothing seems to be going their way. BACP member, book author, and wellbeing consultant Pankhania shared a few key tips with us, from grounding to gratitude.

"Practice grounding techniques to stay in control," she suggested. "Take a deep breath, imagine roots in your feet, going down to the center of the earth. Breathe in and connect with the earth."

On top of that, the wellbeing consultant urged people to try therapeutic writing. "Write out your feelings to enable release. Holding onto negative feelings is not helpful," she told Pictolic.

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"Practice gratitude. Celebrate the small things that are going well every day, keep a list, and build on these positives."

In the meantime, we wanted to find out how people could get back on their feet quicker after lots of unfortunate events.

Aside from embracing grounding, gratitude, and therapeutic writing, wellbeing consultant Pankhania suggested that people reach out to their social network for support.

"Don't be shy to ask for help. We all need it at some time in our lives. Talk and ask for practical or moral support," she encouraged everyone.

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Meanwhile, it's vital to prioritize self-care. "The times when self-care goes out of the window is when we need it most. Use the small gaps you have in your day to get a short walk or meditate for a few minutes," she told Pictolic, adding that spending time in nature is also a very good habit. "Nature heals and rejuvenates. Get out in the fresh air."

If you found the wellbeing consultant's insights helpful, be sure to check out her website and books. Meanwhile, if you happen to live in the UK and would like to consult with a therapist, take a look at the BACP's directory.

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At the time of writing, the ‘Images That Precede Unfortunate Events 2’ project boasted 209k followers and 198k likes on Facebook. According to the curator of the page, it’s the successor to the original ‘Images That Precede Unfortunate Events’ page which got hacked when it got 90k fans on the social media network.

The goal of the page is to show the humorous side of disasters in the making. After seeing images captured mere moments before a catastrophe, the audience is left wondering what exactly happened next. The fact that part of the story is left up to people’s imagination might be part of the page’s massive popularity.

You shouldn’t feel guilty about laughing at these images, even as you feel bad for the people—it’s a perfectly natural reaction. Not to mention that humor is a wonderful way to get through some tough times. Comedy helps you see even incredibly painful and hurtful situations from a fresh new perspective. On top of that, it distracts you from your problems, reduces stress, and boosts your mood.

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Meanwhile, in the long term, laughter can actually bolster your immune system, as your stress and anxiety levels are reduced. Laughter can also work to relieve pain and to help you connect with the people around you. However, it’s up to the person in question to find the humorous side of these nasty situations. Finding the silver lining when you’re in pain or completely embarrassed is quite a tall order. It requires a lot of self-awareness and emotional resilience.

Even though we might not be able to control many things that happen in our lives, we can partly control how we react to them. Becoming emotionally resilient is one of the best things you can do in life. It allows you to weather most misfortunes better than others, so you’re back on your feet and moving forward in no time at all. 

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