Crisis What Crisis

The past few years have brought a series of global crises that have affected people worldwide. From economic downturns and natural disasters to political instability and public health emergencies, it can feel like we are constantly facing new challenges and uncertainty. So how do we best cope with this constant stream of crises? 

This is a difficult question to answer, it’s different for each of us, but let’s attempt to break it down into smaller pieces:

Taking Care of our Mental health:

Above all, this is the place we must begin, with ourselves. Feeling overwhelmed by the world can lead to a significant impact on our general sense of well-being, if the experiences are overwhelming it can lead to feelings of helplessness and frustration. During times of crisis, many folks can experience heightened levels of stress, anxiety, and fear but what’s important here is to acknowledge that these emotions are perfectly normal responses to a crisis situation and they can be managed through coping strategies such as: maintaining a regular routine, engaging in self-care activities and seeking support from friends, professionals and family. 

Using Distraction:

This is probably our most basic human default position, it’s our fallback strategy in the short term. But, relying too heavily on distraction as a coping mechanism can prevent us from dealing with our emotions and problems in a healthy and effective way.  Sure, spending time on exercise, travel, being with friends or jumping into our hobbies can help us relax but lurking in the background are our negative thoughts that remain in the shadows. Relying too heavily on distraction as a coping mechanism can prevent us from dealing with our emotions and problems in a healthy and effective way. 

Standing Up for Your Rights:

Standing up to mistreatment, prejudice and social unfairness can be empowering, giving voice to concerns of abuse of power, equity, justice towards others and tolerance for our human diversity can be rewarding. It is, however, important to remember that standing up to authoritarian individuals, groups or governments can be difficult and potentially dangerous. It may be necessary to carefully weigh the risks and benefits before taking action. Knowing your rights, using non-violent communication and building a support network of allies can provide emotional support and a sense of solidarity.

Spirituality and Religion:

Spirituality can be a source of strength and guidance during times of external threats. For some people, spirituality provides a sense of meaning and purpose, which can help them cope with challenges and uncertainty. Spirituality can also provide a sense of connection to something greater than oneself which can help us with a sense of comfort and hope. Spiritual practices and beliefs, such as prayer, meditation, and mindfulness, can provide tools for managing stress and difficult emotions but there is a proviso: spirituality is a personal experience, and what is helpful or meaningful to one person may not be the same for another.

Ignoring or Avoidance:

Ignoring an external problem and hoping it will just go away is not an effective way to solve the global and personal problems many of us are facing. Ignoring a particularly thorny problem can allow it to grow and fester, in effect, worsening your life over time. Avoidance does not deal with our issues nor is it an appropriate strategy for how to take care of ourselves, prioritising our self-care during times of crisis is a better way to cope with the challenges we are facing.

Practice gratitude:

It can be easy to get caught up in negative thoughts and emotions during a crisis, but practising gratitude can help shift your focus to the positive things in your life. Take some time each day to reflect on the things you are grateful for, no matter how small they may seem

“Mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” — Noam Shpancer, PhD

Giving Up and Going with the Flow:

Power, money and greed can be difficult to fight against for a number of reasons, it’s therefore difficult to challenge or oppose them, so deciding to join the mob and get what you can while it lasts can be an obvious path forward. The only problem is that capitalism is killing the planet. We tend to carry on while trying to convince ourselves that it’s not really that serious, believing that if it really were all that bad some higher authority would surely stop us from our own destruction. Given our human existence is linked to such complex natural systems: clean air, ocean circulation, biodiversity and healthy soil, going with the flow is a bit like playing the fiddle while Rome is burning around you.

Hopefully, a combination of the above strategies could offer some ideas for dealing with the pressures we will face over the coming years but either way, going it alone, isn’t recommended. Global crises can be challenging and overwhelming, but if you take care of yourself, reach out for support, practise gratitude and find ways to help others, then maybe, you’re beginning to create the perfect shelter in which to avoid the worst of the Stormfront that we’re facing, by having a good heart.