Ways To Keep Hope When The World Seems Hopeless
These past few days, like so many days lately in America, feels extra hard. Whether it is waking up to the reality that we are still greedily grasping for oil and threatening other countries to obtain it, or the fact that there is yet another unchecked law enforcement agency harming people, living in this moment can feel brutal and nightmarish. There can be the temptation to soften or ignore certain truths in order to simply get through the moment. However, the truth is, in this current time, most of us do not have a great deal of faith in our government. We can’t trust many people in our government not to hurt us—let alone protect us—and there is a pervasive feeling of overwhelm and a lack of safety. So what do you do when the world feels hopeless and the feeling of powerlessness creeps in? You can ignore what is happening. Many people choose to do that. . .but there will be a consistent nagging feeling that all is not right and a low hum of ever present anxiety that you just can’t shake. In my personal opinion as a somatic therapist, you cannot betray your body by ignoring what you feel and what our lives are in the present political circumstance. At the same time, inundating yourself with news and information can be paralyzing and lead to inaction as well. Here are some suggestions about how to keep a sense of agency and guard your mental health during this time. As always, not all suggestions will work for all people: many minority groups are being targeted by the Trump administration and may not feel safe taking some actions.
Tips to Cope When the World Seems Hopeless: Tips From A Somatic Therapist in San Francisco
1) Take care of your mental health. Make sure you are getting enough rest, you are eating well, and if you are able to, attend therapy. If you can’t attend therapy make sure you have outlets for emotions that build up throughout the day. Take time to allow yourself to feel your feelings and make sure you work on your coping skills so when intense emotions hit you have a way to manage them. Here is one of my go-to skills when for when anxiety is extremely high.
2) Find a community of like-minded people to invest in. We need to rely on and tend to each other more than ever. Our local communities are incredibly important when the larger infrastructure is not helping or serving us. Communities provide hope, care, and connection, as well as a sense of belonging and support when life seems bleak.
3) Identify what actions you can take to help those around you. Feeling powerless often comes from a lack of action so find ways to take action! Donate to organizations that are helping those who are vulnerable and under attack, attend protests if you can, call your legislators, etc. Identify what level of risk you can tolerate and what actions you wish to take and do something. (ANYTHING!) You still have power and taking action is one way to use it. Also, if you are going to a protest, know your rights and how to protest safely.
4) Take care of your physical health. It is hard to feel motivated to help yourself or others if your body does not feel good. So it’s worth repeating: Eat well, exercise, and get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
5) Keep connected (but not overconnected) to current events. It is important to keep apprised of what new situations are unfolding. However, an endless stream of notifications on your phone or watching hours of news videos (especially before bed) can send your nervous system into a constant state of anxiety. Monitor your emotional state and notice when you have consumed too much media (your body will tell you as you will feel more stress and tension). Try to find a balance of staying informed but not becoming consistently triggered by news events. Additionally, pick news media that doesn’t consistently overwhelm you. Videos and clips may have a different effect than reading news sources. Be picky about what media you absorb.As always, be mindful of the veracity of your sources. Read multiple news outlets and question writer bias. Remember that previously trustworthy news sources may have changed hands and could be editing (or eliminating) their stories to appease the Trump administration.
6) Continue to find joy and work on things that give your life meaning. If we live in a world of constant fear, those who would seek to oppress and silence us have already won. Again, however you can, which may be limited due to individual vulnerability or challenges at this time, find moments of joy and connection in your life.
7) Lastly, don’t be afraid to rest. The specific strategy of the current presidential administration is to bully, inundate, and intimidate in order to cause a continued state of fear and paralysis to maintain control of the population. Resting and finding ways to keep your nervous system regulated are acts of resistance that defy the administration’s agenda. If your nervous system is well-regulated, you make better decisions for yourself and those around you.
I hope these suggestions prove helpful to you during this time. If you need extra support or mental health resources, please reach out to me at lisa@lisamanca.com.
Sources:
ACLU (SoCal): https://www.aclusocal.org/know-your-rights/protesters/
PBS: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/new-cbs-news-chief-draws-backlash-by-pulling-60-minutes-story-on-el-salvador-prison
Wired: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-protest-safely-surveillance-digital-privacy/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPOvt5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeY0reBIMV7Me56ctL3LoXDNVZdZBib_Qd66YNDXvWrQ5XFon64CqK8tqcHyw_aem_kOQlBDPpUS_v3RndLxlr-A