The World Feels Scary Right Now - Here’s What You Can Do
I’m going to be honest with you - shit is scary out there right now. You’re not overreacting, you’re not crazy and yes, it is all very real. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed and anxious right now, it isn’t weakness or failure - it’s a normal response to unpredictability and instability. But it’s also ok to not want everything going on to keep overwhelming you or making you feel paralyzed with fear. Today we’re going to talk about what you can do to help manage anxiety and feel hopeful, no matter what is happening on the political stage right now.
Your Anxiety And Fear Are Real - But Don’t Have to Run Your Life
Anxiety is a natural response to uncertainty. Our brains and our bodies want to be in equilibrium, so when we feel anxious it wants to look for solutions to make us feel better so we feel safe. The more we try to predict what will happen so we can have a solution and therefore feel safe, the more we engage in checking new cycles frequently, doomscrolling, overthinking or playing out relentless scenarios so we can be prepared. Is this normal behavior? Totally. Is it helpful? Nope. This behavior, while we think it will help us feel better, actually just tells our brain to keep looking for more problems to solve. To look for more evidence of where we aren’t safe, so we can figure out how to be safe. So we keep looking, and we keep finding more problems. Except none of this makes us more safe, it just makes us more anxious. But the thing is, we can’t predict every problem. You could think of 100 ways something is going to play out and usually it happens in the one way you didn’t think about. Even if you guess pretty accurately, there will be details you didn’t think of because no matter how much we want to be, we aren’t fortune tellers or mind readers. We can’t really know what is going to happen - so what can we do? We can build resilience to the stress and anxiety.
Resilience Isn’t About Being Unbothered
Let’s bust some myths about resilience first. It isn’t about being immune to hard things, it isn’t about numbing ourselves or checking out - it’s about being ok no matter what happens. On my instagram stories the other day I posed a picture of the pathos plant in my office that is resilient, sometimes despite my efforts to keep it alive. One stem has a section that is missing a bunch of leaves, and has a few yellow ones too, but it’s still growing. There are still signs of new life at the end, even though it’s a bit battered. That’s resilience. It doesn’t mean going through life unscathed, it means adapting, bending without breaking, growing no matter what is going on (in this case, maybe underwatering).
Resilience is knowing you can adapt and recover from difficulty. It is trusting that you have resources, and access to resources that can help you deal with change and uncertainty. Those resources can be social, professional, financial, physical, or any combination thereof. Resilience isn’t always about having everything we need to survive uncertainty, so much as it’s knowing we can figure it out if we need to.
Reclaiming Your Power Without Pretending the World Is Fine
If advocacy or activism are important to you, then great! If focusing in taking care of yourself and your family is more important right now, then great! But you still need to take care of yourself in order to do either of those things well. Taking care of yourself is how you build resilience and reclaim your personal power in the middle of the chaos. Here are a few examples of things you can do to build resilience right now:
Set boundaries with media consumption.
Turn off push notifications, breaking news emails and instagram notifications. Set designated times to look at these when you know you can look at them without getting flooded or overwhelmed. If you are partnered, maybe even take turns with your partner, trading off who looks at news and provides any important updates so that neither of you have to deal with engaging it every day. It doesn’t seem like much but it will give your nervous system a break and reduce overall levels of stress.
Connect with others in real life, without looking at your phone.
That can be a date night, talking to a friend, or taking your kid or dog to the park without looking at your phone.Be fully present with the people and environment around you. Yes the stock market might be a roller coaster, but that isn’t going to change because you stopped looking at your phone for 2 hours. It’s hard to be worried about the latest news if you’re paying attention to your friend telling you about the argument she just had with her mother, or how hard it is to get her kid to go to bed right now. And even if you and others want to talk about the issues you are worried about, it’s healthier and more satisfying to connect with another human while doing it, versus doomscrolling the comments section or getting hot takes from strangers or podcasts hosts you have a one-way relationship with.
Do small actions that align with your beliefs.
Maybe that’s calling your local representative, donating money, or volunteering your time for something that feels important. Maybe it’s spending more intentional time with your loved ones and friends, because joy is an act of resistance. Maybe it’s going on that vacation anyway because your nervous system needs a break and it’s not going to wreck your finances to get out of town for a few days. Small things still make a difference. Like the African proverb says, “if you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent a night with a mosquito”.
Build some resilience rituals that help you slow down and regulate your nervous system.
They can be things that give you hope and energy, like a playlist that always lifts your spirits and reminds you of what is possible. It can be regular movement, which I highly recommend because it can help you physically process lingering adrenaline from anxiety and stress. It could be a hobby that you enjoy that helps you see the good and joyful things in the world. It can even be deeply enjoying a meal, or cooking for your family. The point is for it to be something that feels inspiring or comforting to you. Come back to these things when you are feeling overwhelmed, and develop rituals that help you distress in the evening before you go to bed.
You’re Allowed to Pause Without Giving Up
Remember, you’re allowed to pause and takes breaks - and it doesn’t mean you’re giving up. Protecting yourself and caring for yourself is essential if you want to show up as your best self, and also show up for others. Remember that it isn’t your job to solve all of the problems in the world, just like you can’t stop waves at the ocean. Your job is to float on top of the waves, and then get out of the ocean when you need breaks so you don’t drown. There is a reason lifeguards work in shifts - because no one can be vigilant and running into the water to save literally all hours of the day. Give yourself time to rest. Nurture your relationships, with others and with yourself.
Feel free to come back to this blog whenever you need it. And last but not least, go to therapy, and let someone support you.
If you are looking for Therapy for Anxiety in Denver, CO you can book a free consultation with me by clicking on the “new client consult” button in the top right hand corner. If you are not in CO and are looking for additional support, you can search online directories such as TherapyDen or PsychologyToday to find a local therapist in your area.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and entertainment purposes only; it is not therapy and is not a replacement for therapy. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, call 911 or 988. Nothing found on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. See website disclaimer for more information.
