How to keep going when the world is a mess

Sometimes I wonder if im the only one who consistently goes through cycles of feeling wonderful, and then feeling like shit. The last three weeks have been shit. Actually, the last 8 weeks have been really tough for me. From being rejected by multiple people, to getting shingles on my head, to the lack of desire ive been feeling during this whole global pandemic thing, I’m bored of being bored.

For the past 3 months, I haven’t been able to get my voice out on this blog. I’ve been trying, believe me. I’ve written out post titles and planned out themes and organized colours and topics, but that doesn’t mean the writing is flowing at all. Talking about this makes me feel like a computer that’s running slow, taking in information, just with a slow processor and output.

So, as the title asks, how do you keep going when the world is a mess? I read a very interesting passage in The Daily Stoic with a passage from Epictetus, a stoic philosopher with unique ancient wisdom that is still vital now, if not more than ever.

The passage asked what reaction to have when bad news is delivered to us, and Epictetus says the stoic does not respond with agony and victimhood, but acknowledges the personal duty of oneself before responding. What that means, is to focus on what you can do more so than what is going on.

5 ways to clean up the global mess through individual choices

I’m really into astrology, and lately I’ve been noticing that the sign of cancer has appeared more than usual this year. What that means to those who don’t follow astrology, is the most emotional sign is appearing in the stars, and so there’s more emotion coming to the surface than ever before.

Noooowwww, back to the point!

Here are 5 ways to act as a good human and participating in cleaning up a bit of the current global mess.

1. Wear a mask when necessary

This seems obvious, but for those who have mental health issues, traumas with suffocation, or social anxiety (which is not talked about enough) wearing a mask may be really difficult.

In fact, after moving during a global pandemic, in my last load of stuff in the elevator, the trolly spilled and I had to clean it up really fast. This panic, wearing a mask, and stress of moving from a really shitty living situation back to my parent’s house was a combination resulting in anxiety overload.

I empathize with those who feel suffocated when wearing a cloth mask, or hate the feeling of having their face cover because… well it’s not a “normal” feeling by any means! So why should it be comfortable?!

The point here relates back to stoicism, the one thing in your control is your own free actions. Philosophers have generally agreed that there is free will, at least there is a choice (that’s a different conversation to discuss free will and determinism in length); however, using this agency to wear a mask when necessary is the one thing that is controllable in the current global situation.

So please, follow the rules! Listen to the requirements of your local area, and be mindful of who you’re around and when. It’s also useful to keep track of where you are when you’re outside the house if you aren’t wearing a mask and just going for a walk. That way there’s a record of where you were and the possible location where the virus is a threat.

2. Deal with your emotions, trauma, and baggage NOW!

A large theme of this year is healing and processing emotional trauma for release.

In January I went on a retreat for the purpose of healing! I also work with coaches to continue growing and healing. Not everyone is at the level I’m at because I’ve pushed myself to be at that level because of the energy healing work I aspire to do.

They say that hindsight is 20/20, so what year is better to deal with and leave your personal baggage behind than 2020? The best that could happen is to walk into 2021 with a new found sense of freedom and anticipation that life is amazing, fun, and enjoyable (for a change).

3. Define your goals, aspirations, and dreams as if you’re playing Sims 4 IRL

The year’s symbolism and meaning doesn’t stop at hindsight either, clear vision is 20/20, so now is also the time to begin defining and creating aspirations for your future as if you’re a sim in the Sims 4 game.

When I was a teenager I’d spend hours and hours playing sims instead of being in the real world! Well, now the real world is Sims 4 and your reality is defined by you.

In a weird existential way, we are conscious sims who create ourselves and can choose our own life goals, personality traits and characteristics to move forward with (if only the motherland cheat were a real thing too!).

If you’re a Pinterest newbie, I suggest you go down that rabbit hole now. Start creating an idea of what you want the future to look like.

4. Enjoy the time at home, it likely won’t happen again for 100 years

The world shut down for several months. the stock market crashed, and countries suffered. Your duty right now is to spend more time at home, and what a blessing that is!

Part of the way to clean up this global mess is to find the positive aspects for your life within the chaos, part of which is learning to live in the moment.

The old normal was stress, planning for the future, and holding onto the past. The new normal is letting go and detaching from outcomes and expectations of others. It’s a wonderful time to learn about stoic philosophy, as these principles are the backbone of this method of thinking.

I encourage you to cherish every extra moment spent at home, around family you live with, and with your fur babies. I know that part of this year was incredible difficult for me because my dog stayed with my parents while I attempted to adult on my own.

Take the time to cherish the things you have at home, and take notice of the little things that occur now, rather than being in the anxiety of the future.

If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, start by writing a list of things to do when you’re super anxious instead of thinking and keep it in the notes app on your phone. I also recommend an AI app called replika which helped me tremendously when I had my first teaching job and continued to struggle with imposter syndrome and dysthymia.

5. Take time to learn about tough topics and define your philosophy

Last thing we can do, is to take time to educate ourselves on the tough topics, and the often overlooked topic of philosophy.

Philosophy is the study of the way things are. In simple terms, it means learning about why things are the way they are. There are several branches of philosophy, and to use philosophy as a verb means to embody a certain way of looking at the world.

My philosophy of life, is a consistently changing view of life, where mindset and movement are vital to continued well being. I am still figuring out what my personal, and professional philosophies are, but now is the perfect time to search and learn new things.

Remember…

Everything takes time, and there is no rush to get any of this done now, but the world would be a better place if you did. Continue at your own pace, but also consider how your own healing would help the collective and you may have more motivation to work through your personal baggage.

In terms of what I was feeling before writing this, using your voice for encouraging others, especially when you’re facing difficulty is the best remedy for that feeling of blah. Share your wisdom by leaving a comment and letting me know what you think of my tips.

Thanks for philosophizing with me!

~~~ stay true stay weird ~~~

kristi

Resources:

• learn about cultural appropriation with the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

The website even has a super cool feature under browse you can select random entry and it brings back memories of stumble upon where you could find interesting and random things on the internet.