It's not easy to constantly hear the negativity and constant news being thrown at you about where our lives are going as we head into yet another four years with a previous leader.
No doubt, many are fearful about how they will afford their current expenses, how they will function if their rights are taken away, and are scared of what unpredictable orders will come forth from the government next.
What is easy, is to let yourself constantly be sucked into the negativity if you have the luxury of not dealing with executive orders that apply directly to you, your identity, or your family's.
Here are FIVE ways to keep your cool in the chaos.
REMAIN DISTANT, BUT INFORMED
It's important not to let the doom and gloom consume you whether it's coming from the news, social media, or any other source. It's not going to do anything except sap your strength and make you feel powerless. For some media sources, the confusion is the point.
For some media sources and movements, the goal is to confuse and cause division among people. How can you keep out of the loop, but stay in the loop?
Make sure that you set certain times to inform yourself of current events so that you know how to react in case something happens that affects you. Once you acquire the information you need, log off. Try not to doom scroll and feed into the arguments online.
Learn to disassociate. True, a lot of people don't have the luxury or disassociating. Some things happening will affect us whether we like it or not. But if you're unaffected, make sure you care for yourself and take things easy. One day at a time.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR CIRCLE
You cannot right all the wrongs and you cannot single-handedly handle the constant societal ups and downs humans are forced to go through. After all, you're only human yourself.
The last thing you want to feel at pivotal moments is powerless.
Call your power back to yourself. Focus on how to navigate the current climate.
Stock your resources, gather supplies, food, and make sure all of your cars are filled up if you can.
Handle business, whether it be financial or transactional. Keep cash on hand, and call your loved and vulnerable ones to make sure they're alright. Keep a budget and lower spending on frivolous things (unless they cannot wait).
BUT....FORM COMMUNITY
In times like this, when society is in chaos it's important for us to lean upon each other more than ever. It's hard when we are pitted against each other, and that's often the point.
Mr. Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided cannot stand." Division only breeds failure, and many of us cannot afford to fail ourselves or our loved ones. Community is something that has been lost throughout the years. Humans have become individualistic, self-centered, and overly occupied with themselves.
Granted, this isn't without reason. The self-care movement has been one that has picked up steam throughout the last decade, with humans opting out of toxic relationships, focusing on relaxing, focusing on things that are important to them, learning to say no, and "quiet quitting". People are TIRED.
However, it's important to not swing TOO far towards the other side of the pendulum. Self-care is good, selfishness to the point of toxicity is not. Most humans are social animals, and we need each other, whether we realize it or not. By all means, talk to those who need help, be a friend, lend a cup of sugar, and LEARN THINGS from each other.
There are so many skills that I have learned just from TALKING to people and researching online afterward. Networking (as much as I have trouble with it,) has been heaven-sent a lot of the times.
You know how in most games, you have to talk to the other NPCs or characters in the games to learn information? The same applies to real life.
This is an ambivert saying this. I have a lot of times where I can be introverted, but on the occasions that I do try, it nearly always ends up being worth it.
DON'T BOTTLE UP YOUR EMOTIONS
This is a big one. There's nothing wrong with being sad, feeling despair, or feeling hopeless at times. A lot of the things that happen in society we have every right to feel negatively about. It means that you care and have a sense of justice and empathy, things that are also becoming increasingly less common as the years go by.
It's not fair. A lot of the injustice that we see isn't fair or right.
Lately, I've been having trouble wrapping my head around how evil some people are capable of being (sheltered child here).
I can't believe that people can be THIS lacking in empathy regardless of the issue. It feels like people have been....taken OVER by some force or something. But my religious upbringing told me that this would happen and get worse, so I guess it's better to adapt.
Talk to a friend. Vent to your Discord chat. There are people around who will listen (as long as you don't constantly use them as a dumping ground). Hard times can be hard to navigate by yourself, especially when you're dealing with a swirl of emotions.
YOU ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU REALIZE
Recognize that hard times will always occur, have occurred, and that you've always gotten by.
You are resilient. You are adaptable. You are intelligent enough to figure out a solution and smart enough to keep yourself safe no matter what situation you come across. Speak life into yourself and encourage yourself.
Humanity has dealt with two world wars, famine, political chaos, and inflation. We're a resilient species and despite the imperfections and setbacks we've faced, we've found a way.
The same is true for you and me. We must trust that whatever life throws at us, we have the tools and know-how to combat it and toss it right back.
The future is still uncertain, but I was taught that eventually, the happy ending will come, and we have forces on our side that will ensure that. During the darkest hour, it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's very important to keep pushing so you can finally get to it.
So, keep fighting.
As one of my favorite characters says, "If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have." - Shadow the Hedgehog
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