When the World is Suffering
Hello, my friends.
I don’t have anything profound to say about the state of the world right now other than to say I’m walking this path with you. I can tell you what I am doing in the face of so much suffering and pain in case any of this is helpful to you.
Limiting my intake of news. When awful events happen, I usually find myself doom scrolling news stories. Not only is that unhelpful to my psychological state; I find that it keeps me from feeling my emotions. At a certain point the doom scrolling becomes numbing. Limiting my news intake helps me not doom scroll. I usually set either a time limit, or some limit on the number of times per day that I will open news apps.
Allow myself to feel. I have been carving out time to sit quietly and allow my emotions to come to the surface. I’m not going to lie, this practice is HARD and it is often unpleasant to sit with so much sadness, but it’s necessary for me. I tend to be so busy doing that feeling gets shoved aside. Making space for my emotions to come up and out helps them move and not stay stuck in my body.
Practice metta meditation. Metta is also known as loving kindness meditation. It’s a practice I turn to often, and especially in difficult times because it helps me to consciously open my heart and wish that suffering and pain be eased for others.
Journal. Writing is an outlet for me. Journaling about what I feel helps me process those feelings and get them out.
Find beauty every day. Stopping to marvel at something beautiful - a bright orange sunset, the way the light moves through the trees, your dog dreaming - cultivates joy and hope. And when we experience more joy and hope, we can better handle other emotions like overwhelm and anxiety. Cultivating these positive emotions also helps us to think creatively and see solutions we might not see when we’re under stress.
There’s lots of science behind these practices. If you’re interested in learning more, here are some useful resources.
The effects of news on your psychological health
The important of feeling your emotions
The benefits of metta meditation
The healing power of beauty and awe
And, as always, I can help you with any of these practices or other tools you might need in this current moment.
I’ll close with my metta meditation wish for you:
May you be safe
May you be healthy
May your suffering be eased
May your heart know peace
Be well.