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How to stay grounded in times like these

How are you feeling today?

Stressed out? Forgetful? Overwhelmed by the increasingly bazaar and disconcerting national events?

Recently a friend and I were discussing how we both were having a hard time focusing on the tasks at hand. I constantly find myself distracted and forgetful, and too often a bit short-tempered.

We are not alone. Turns out that a lot of us are feeling stressed.

According to the recent American Psychological Association’s (APA) report Stress in America™: Coping with Change,” two-thirds of Americans say they are stressed about the future of our nation, including a majority of both Democrats and Republicans.”

Not surprisingly, Democrats are more stressed out by the outcome of the 2016 election and the future of the nation overall, but Republicans are also stressed out about the future.

Given that tensions are high, we can we do to stay grounded?

Talk with supportive friends and family

Most every morning I have a conversation via text with a few close friends. Sometimes we share our dismay at recent events, or exchange a funny video that makes us laugh. The conversations are usually brief, cathartic, empowering and always reinforce our friendship.

Act with kindness overall

With many of us on edge, a little act of kindness can go a long way.  If someone bumps into you (or you into them), imagine the difference it makes if you give a big “hello” or “good day!”

If you see someone who needs help, why not stop and give them a hand. Showing acts of kindness not only help others but also ourselves. It feels good to be kind.

Watch your news consumption

There is so much real news to take in, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.  Set up some time to dive in, decide how you want to act (not react) and then get out.

Take a break from Social Media

It’s become a great way to get your blood pressure up.

Be compassionate

As much stress as I feel now, I know that there are many others who live with constant stress. Going forward we could all benefit by showing greater understanding and compassion.

Don’t get discouraged

There is a lot that needs fixing in our nation (and the list seems to grow every day), but together we can make things better.

Sources

http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/index.aspx

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/emotional-support.aspx

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-political-change.aspx

http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/02/stressed-nation.aspx

www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/02/15/515366975/feeling-way-more-stressed-out-youre-not-alone

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/emotional-support.aspx

 

 

 

 

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Moving forward with a positive attitude

Where do we go from here?

For many of us, the world seems a bit off-kilter right now. In times like these, it is tempting to retreat, to shut ourselves off from the chaos. But this is a reaction, not a solution. For my own peace of mind, I’m trying to focus on what I can do to move forward with a positive attitude.

As part of this process, I’ve written down my key goals for 2017. I’ll be updating it and providing more detail over time. I am sharing this not only keep myself on track but also to help others who are looking for suggestions on how to move onward and upward.

Going forward:

Above all, don’t give in to the dark side. There are so many forces that seek to divide our society, but we need to stay strong and:
  • Treat each other with dignity and respect
  • Assume positive intent among others
  • Acknowledge that we all have our biases and we need to work together to recognize and address them
Speak up/act when you or others are not treated with dignity and respect
  • Every day we see prominent people displaying childish, bullying and hypocritical behavior. This is not OK, and we need to make sure that this behavior doesn’t ever become acceptable
  • We may not be able to directly impact the most prominent perpetrators, but we can make a difference on a local level. We need to speak up when we see such behavior
Put your money where your mouth is
  • Donate to organizations that support causes close to your heart. It’s one of the quickest ways to make a difference
Work to stay informed and help others become better informed
  • This means actively seeking out news and information from a variety of trusted sources and verifying its veracity before sharing
Spend more time connecting in person
  • Limit time on social media—it isn’t a very healthy environment for dialog, especially right now
  • Expand your horizons and talk to people who may not share your POV
  • Spend more time listening, less time judging
  • Healthy discussions need to start from a common factual ground. If that can’t be established, spend your energy elsewhere
And most importantly, maintain your balance
  • Don’t burn yourself out.  Make time to do what brings you joy. Socialize, meditate, get out in nature, curl up with a good book, exercise, take a long bath, eat well, dance and sing with all your heart

I hope you will look forward with me.