Many of us find ourselves in positions we never anticipated. We feel stress and emotion that overwhelm our ability to think clearly, to understand where we are in the world. I encourage you to channel these feelings, these reactions, constructively by listening to them and digging into what outcome they seem to crave. At the root of intense emotion often lies a central question. In this case there are likely many.
- Will I have a job?
- Will my family be ok?
- Will I get sick?
- Will things ever get back to normal?
The questions we contend with today are some of the most core existential questions. Ones we rarely confront individually, let alone in aggregate. Further complicating matters, these are not questions we can reasonably answer. We face a future of uncertainty beyond what we must normally consume.
In this time of turmoil, I might offer these thoughts to guide you back to more stable mental ground.
Let go of what you cannot know, release the questions beyond your knowledge and control. Pondering the fate of the world, or even your unique world, will not offer relief or constructive outcomes. Surely, having a pointed question about taking action here and now will offer value but I suspect those aren’t the ones keeping us up at night. It’s the big ones, the questions typically set aside for philosophers, clergymen, stoners, and tech executives. For the sake of your sanity, set them aside for times when life is less demanding.
Have faith in what you know, in the time you have right now, in your ability to bring value to others in the world, to demonstrate love for those you care about. Use this crisis to let go of the future we had long forsaken and re-center yourself on the present. Find comfort in what we have, instead of lingering on what we have lost. Express gratitude to these gifts that remain, perhaps telling a person you appreciate them directly, maybe through a gratitude journal. Anchor your perspective to these.
Cultivate a healthy mental diet which reinforces a positive outlook of hope instead of feeding a psychology of fear. What we feel and think are often reflections of the news and content we consume. Media plays a tremendous role in the shaping of perspectives today. While confirmation bias can be dangerous, I think the greater risk now is to overindulge in fear inducing news, social media, and recreational programming. Seek out what is necessary to be informed and then pivot to more inspiring messaging.
Recognize when you’re being overwhelmed with feelings of fear or doubt and then find the question beneath. Once you’ve got a handle on that question, it should be easier to identify which parts of your information diet are aggravating that concern. A person accustomed to consuming a certain level of stress will be hard pressed to suddenly digest all of the increased stress in our current situation. You need to release those specific stressors which cannot be resolved and channel your energy towards outcomes you can control and the differences you can make.
For those interested in reading more about some of the relevant topics that have influenced me, here are some of the theories that have aided my understanding of myself. These are not necessarily the most up to date or academically accepted models, but they have provided me value in navigating my path towards self-awareness.
Psychology – Terror Management Theory, The 5 Stages of Grief, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Ego vs Self-Identity
Economics – Loss Aversion, The Endowment Effect
Spirituality – The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A Singer, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
