What To Do If You're Feeling Helpless About World Events
Sitting in my kitchen this morning, I heard a faraway siren. Immediately, my mind flashed on those a continent away, who, like me, were undisturbed in their homes just a few weeks ago, before the bombs began to fall.
I thought, “What would that be like?” as I superimposed televised images over the peaceful springtime view out my window. I was briefly transported to a war-torn town in a makeshift shelter with no escape. In my body, I felt my heart rate quicken, throat tighten and breath shorten. I was in fight or flight mode without moving a muscle.
When I refocused on my reality, I immediately acknowledged my countless blessings. But that feeling of gratefulness was overshadowed by a sense of helplessness. Then I remembered a story a mentor of mine, Christina, had once shared.
At the beginning of the Iraqi war, Christina brought to mind the image of an Iraqi woman her age and kept her close at heart as she went about her days. As she was getting up in the west, she would wish her spiritual counterpart a good night. Christina would invite the woman to sip tea together and share meals. Most importantly, she offered the woman experiencing war a safe place for her spirit to rest.
Like all beautiful, poignant stories, this one has stayed with me for years.
In a similar vein, throughout the pandemic I found myself closing my eyes from time to time, placing my hand over my heart, and offering the haven of my health to those who were suffering. I’ll never know if it gave refuge to anyone in need, but we rarely know how our anonymous offerings impact.
Of course, the only way to make such a gesture is from a calm heart, and this is where wellness comes into play. Taking good care of yourself will better enable you to be of service in challenging times.
It’s been difficult to catch our collective breath. We seem to be held in a space of global tension that shows no sign of easing. As a result, we don’t even realize how much stress we’re carrying until reminded, like when we hear a distant siren on a quiet morning.
We are already experiencing low physical, mental and emotional reserves due to the overwhelm and uncertainty of the last few years. In that weariness, we’re trying to process war and humanitarian crisis. Any of the feelings you may be facing – confusion, sadness, anger, anxiety, numbness, guilt, helplessness, to name a few – are normal and understandable.
Here are five ways to work with what you’re feeling:
Feel what you’re feeling, name it and allow it to be. It may seem like a smart strategic move to compartmentalize, bury or cover what you’re feeling with a smile, but doing so won’t bring resolution. In fact, it may prolong and deepen the impact. Instead, when the feelings are activated, find them in your body. What area feels tense or constricted? Take a moment to breathe into that place, focusing your attention on expanding the area that feels tight.
Support your mental well-being with physical movement. Our coping abilities have been pushed to the max. One of the best things we can do for ourselves is find ways to soothe our nervous system. Remind yourself that emotions shift and the best way to lift your mood is to move your body in whatever way works for you. A daily walk is great sans phone or earbuds. Simply wander, noticing what’s in front of you and acknowledging it with gratitude.
Know your media limits and minimize input. It can be easy to fall down the media rabbit hole under the guise of staying current. Find your balance between staying informed and continuous absorption. Create mindful media boundaries and stay within them. Determine how much interaction is necessary, set appropriate time limits, especially in the mornings and evenings, and give yourself permission to unplug altogether.
Use substitution to your advantage. The key to any positive habit change is substitution, that is, having an alternative option when you feel yourself returning to an old pattern. If you’re looking to minimize mindless scrolling, have a different activity in mind when you feel yourself reaching for your phone. You can also balance your media intake with a good news option that you can find by doing a web search on that phrase. In addition, whenever you need to shift the energy quickly, you can simply focus on the present moment, reminding yourself that in this instant, all is well.
Mobilize your feelings to spur action. The ways you can make a difference are endless and there’s a positive impact to your wellness when you focus on what you can control. You can donate time, money or resources. You can volunteer at a local charity to spread the humanitarian spirit. Or perhaps you can find a way to help those displaced by other adversities who are in need of support.
I recently came across these words from Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, who passed earlier this year at the age of 95. He dedicated his life to peace and was exiled from his Vietnamese homeland for protesting the war in the 1960s. He offered these words about the roots of war more than 25 years ago:
“We often think of peace as the absence of war, that if powerful countries would reduce their weapon arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we see our own minds – our own prejudices, fears, and ignorance. Even if we transport all the bombs to the moon, the roots of war and the roots of bombs are still there, in our hearts and minds, and sooner or later, we will make new bombs. To work for peace is to uproot war from ourselves and from the hearts of men and women. To prepare for war, to give millions of men and women the opportunity to practice killing day and night in their hearts, is to plant millions of seeds of violence, anger, frustration, and fear that will be passed on for generations to come.”
Thay, as Thich Nhat Hanh was known by his students, believed that the way to prevent war was to connect with what is healing and joyful inside ourselves. He did this through mindfulness practices and being in nature, holding the deep belief that if we can heal ourselves, society will be healed and transformed as well.
Perhaps you’ll join me in offering what you can in spirit to those who are facing daily life in a war zone. It can be as simple as setting an intention to be willing to bear witness, to offer peace, to energetically be with those in need. In doing so, I hope you feel the seeds of peace and joy begin to take root in your own heart.
Journal Reflections: How has this time impacted you? How are you managing your feelings? What might help you turn this time into positive action?