We have a little over four months remaining in 2020, but this year has been overwhelming. It’s hard to know what or where to focus your attention. Of the many things happening at once, they all seem to be on the same level of urgency.
We have been in a Pandemic for over six months which brings its anxiety and a call to change how we do everything from going to work, shopping and live in our homes. Despite trying to find some semblance of normalcy, there is an awareness that we are constantly under the pressure of uncertainty.
The government is in disarray and more divided than it has been in years. There seems to be less willingness to reach across the aisle to find resolutions. Each side is trying to earn the image of savior or is so focused on making the other look bad that they have completely lost sight of the people they serve. It’s like being a child of divorce and both parents are just trying to look like they are the better parent, but aren’t actually trying to do what’s best for the child.
Even the impending election is a mess like we’ve never seen before. Actual subterfuge is playing out in front of the voters as if we are watching a movie. It’s hard to believe at times.
The media is no help because even they are playing sides and battling for attention. Journalists race to get the story out first using dubious “sources” and tabloid-style, click-bait titles to sway readers or play into their fears. The media heightens the fears of people by reporting questionable or unfounded information.
There is civil unrest. Protests are still being carried out. Racism is rearing its ugly head all over America and people are drawing lines in the sand. Police brutality is still an issue and exacerbated by the isolation and Pandemic. People being locked into homes together is leading to more violence and domestic issues are rising. Sex-trafficking is also center stage being uncovered following the release of the Ghislaine Maxwell documents.
Either the world as we know it is falling apart or we are dealing with every ill of society at once. Whatever the case, it’s a lot for a mind to process.
These are what is happening on a societal level. It doesn’t even take into account what might be happening on a personal level. What might be happening in your individual home or with your own health? What you might be dealing with whether you have a job or don’t have one.
For even the strongest among us, this is way too much to ask of any mind to process all of this at once. And, you shouldn’t expect to be able to.
However, you also can’t expect the world to shield you from what may be harmful to your psyche. Bombardment has become a social tactic.
If you have social media, your timeline is flooded with real and “false” information. Only now, have some outlets started to vet the information that is shared by social media users. Traumatic videos go viral and play in your timeline on auto-play. Before you have agreed to watch violence, the video is already playing with a vague caption.
Gone are the days when violent videos would be censored. It is important to see what is happening, but you have to be aware of how it affects your physiology. You have to make a choice of how much you can handle.
Constantly exposing yourself to negative information, images or thoughts will take a toll on your mind and body. It will produce stress in your body. It can trigger your fight or flight and flood your bloodstream with adrenaline causing you to be in a state of hypervigilance.
The Pandemic alone is a traumatic event. Every other event that is going on simultaneously is an additional trauma. The news you hear on a daily basis is triggering the existing traumas. Your nervous system is being thrown into emergency mode continuously.
What Can You Do? Remember that you are a human. You can’t control what is happening in the world. You can only control how you feel about it and how you keep yourself safe. Do your best and then you have to trust that everything will be okay.
Reduce the amount of stimuli you allow into your attention. Turn off the news. Avoid some stories, especially if they are repetitive. Find the beliefs that make you feel comfortable and give yourself permission to keep them until you receive new information.
Don’t forget to live. Yes, we are going through an extraordinary amount of circumstances, but don’t allow that to stop you from living. Be safe, of course. But, find ways not to put your life on hold. The human spirit is indomitable. People are still falling in love, getting married and sharing the greatest moments of their lives even during all that is going on. This year can provide clarity about what is really important since we’ve been stripped of all our distractions.
If anything, you may walk into 2021 with new tools in how to practice self-care.
—