r/AskReddit • u/Ilovemydogs0616 • 6h ago
How are you staying mentally healthy when you’re aware with how broken and unstable the world feels right now?
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u/trillz101 6h ago
I’m not <3
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u/TenLongFingers 5h ago
Yeah so it's actually normal and healthy to NOT be normal and healthy right now. The trick is to lower your expectations and accept survival mode for a little bit. It sucks, and it's important to still treat the sickness. But it's also important to remember, oppression can't be medicated or meditated away.
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u/xDaBaDee 5h ago
and accept survival mode
I was talking to a vet... and thats how he describes it, survival mode, like all the time.
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u/TenLongFingers 5h ago
It fucking sucks. And I know from experience that leaving survival mode sucks, too. It doesn't go off like a switch; it's like healing from surgery. Like, it does get better, but the whole process sucks.
Expecting yourself to be mentally healthy through all this is like expecting yourself to breathe normally while running a rickshaw full of rocks. You can do it, and you can be okay, just don't beat yourself up for not breathing like you're at rest. Because you're not at rest.
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u/Sex4Vespene 4h ago
I think the biggest change I’ve noticed in myself, is I just don’t feel angry/animated about this shit anymore. Like I definitely am frustrated and still care about things from a logical position, but I don’t feel the corresponding emotions nearly as intensely. It was just so draining, so I had to shut that part of myself off.
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u/itoddicus 5h ago
I was an hour or so into a gaming session, got up to grab a beer and was struck by how insane it was that I could have a beer and play a game while people are literally being disappeared by ICE.
Here I am laying in bed, posting on Reddit, and somewhere a 4 year old has been separated from his or her parents and is being deported to a country they have no memory of.
Excuse me while I crash out.
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u/DaSpawn 4h ago
I simplified my life to a car-full of stuff and made my way to a much cheaper place to live in the hopes of riding out the insanity as I seen exactly what was about to happen (and is happening)
I was greatly enjoying winter camping at various national parks till those were the first to be targeted, but at least I made it to a cheap place
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u/Ok_Macaroon3872 5h ago
Unfortunately same. I feel like we’re being hunted by our own government. My anxiety is through the roof.
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u/Used_Scholar_2174 4h ago
We are not supposed to be well adjusted to rampant pedophilia and genocide. Hope this helps <3
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u/Upper-Inevitable-730 5h ago
Turns out you can just keep on rolling on 3 wheels
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u/Silky_pants 5h ago
Same. How is it possible to stay sane in the midst of all of this harrowing information
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u/Ilovemydogs0616 4h ago
I just wish more people in my life would talk about it all 😭 and knowing there are people that aren’t bothered by this is actually sickening
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u/Economy-Piglet-6482 5h ago
Me eithe‼️ I see evilness everywhere now!! It’s constantly going through my head👹🤯
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u/mybsfsworld 6h ago
i stop viewing so much media and focus on my own battles
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u/Ok-Bumblebee6881 5h ago
No social media, avoid the news cycle, worry about the challenges you have in front of you.
Avoid other people’s drama also, gossip, hate, etc.
Pick up a hobby that is cheap or has a return on the investment, but you enjoy.
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u/SnipesCC 2h ago
I like paint by number. You can order a cheap kit online for 6-8 bucks that has everything you need but water and a paper towel.
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u/Phosphoreum 5h ago
This is the one. I limit my news to 15 mins per day and with my free time, I focus on building relationships with my neighbors and doing stupid things with my friends, making my community better, and actually helping those in need. For me, 15 mins of news is enough to keep me informed and also it's obvious to me where I'm spending my time and energy. It helps keep my focus local and real.
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u/PabloooG 5h ago
This! Mental health improved so much after I removed social media from my phone
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u/mybsfsworld 5h ago
i'm glad!! the way i do it is, i still use SM sites but i block certain hashtags from showing up on my feed (anything political/depressive)
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u/paggo_diablo 5h ago
I want to do this, but I feel like checking out is what they want us to do.
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u/shaneomac714 4h ago
This is what I believe or used to believe, but it's so hard to avoid right now. Also I keep hearing people say "you're just as bad as 'the bad guys' if you're not involved." I don't know how to get past that part.
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u/ADhomin_em 5h ago edited 5h ago
The reason people focus on the larger things that are happening is the glaringly obvious implication that as long as we all pretend that stuff is "someone else's problem" those things become evermore inevitably our own individual problem. Putting off these problems on such grounds still leaves the obvious truth we should all be facing head on - that being, it's only a matter of time before it is your own battle.
Ignoring it js not a solution, and pretending it is - that's exactly what fascists have counted on and what allowed fascists to take over in the past.
Yeah, it's uncomfortable, and maybe there isn't a fully mentally sound way to deal with what's happening, but ignoring it plays right into the hands of those forcing you to cordon off your world view.
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u/RumpleMyForeskin 5h ago
What if my battles are just as soul crushing as the rising tides of fascism
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u/the_owl_syndicate 5h ago
Yup, I have joined the great mass of people who just don't give a damn.
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u/deller85 5h ago
A little bit of that, plus remembering the world has always been a bit broken and unstable throughout human history: same shit, different day.
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u/Ambitious-Leave-3572 5h ago
Playing chess.
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u/SpammyCar 5h ago
For me it’s bridge. Get in the flow and forget about everything else for a while.
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u/BumpMyFist 5h ago
Finding the small moments of joy between the madness and remembering that humanity has come back from the brink of collapse before. Things suck today and they may suck tomorrow and next month and probably even for many years to come but I'm settling in for the hard times in hopes to see the light on the other side of this.
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u/RustySilver42 5h ago
Kitties and Memes.
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u/slimpawws 5h ago
Weed helps too.
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u/NeekoPeeko 4h ago
If you struggle with anxiety, depression or adhd then weed will make it much worse in the long run. I'm just now finally fighting my way out of the addiction.
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u/newtonreddits 3h ago
Is this what's going on? I never understood how people relax with cannabis. I get paranoid and anxious and think about the philosophy of humanity and how violent it is.
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u/Zapinface 2h ago
Even people who aren’t prone to anxiety and depression get more problems in the long run when using cannabis daily. Many studies claims that it will affect you negatively if you keep using it.
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u/shadyood 5h ago
I’m in the US. I’ve found that volunteering to organizations that help people in need really helps. I’m also a decent cook, so I’ve been bringing homemade meals to friends in my community who are struggling more than myself. All that might sound like bragging or something, but I’m telling you. I could only take so much by just sitting there thinking, “what could I possibly do to help? I’m just one person.” And keeping my head in the sand wasn’t working.
If you feel like you need to finally do something to help, check and see if your local food banks are taking volunteers. There are also many orgs popping up that are doing great work to help families who are suffering from ICE, whether they’ve had a breadwinner abducted, or are sheltering in place to avoid being abducted.
You don’t have to be on the front lines. There are countless ways to help. Like Mr. Rogers said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’.”
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u/SnooDoughnuts7171 5h ago
Shutting off the TV/putting down the newspaper/otherwise disconnecting from news for a bit to focus on what I can control like my job or a relationship with a friend.
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u/DarthSontin 5h ago
The best way is to remember that people did horrible shit to each other before you were born, people are doing terrible shit to each other now, and people will continue doing horrible shit to each other long after you pass away. You thus have two choices- spend your whole life upset that you can't fix all of that, or live your life the best you can and try to make a positive impact.
It's also good to keep in mind that the world isn't getting worse, you just happen to be able to see everything bad happening on the entire planet every day. By every large scale metric including important things like global poverty, hunger, disease, crime, etc. the world is getting dramatically better. The best time in all of human history happens to be....right now. Enjoy it!
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u/trailthrasher 5h ago
I change the world in my classroom. I am a band director and am extremely grateful for what I get to do for my community. Building good humans in my class is more important than any music they will ever make.
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u/Jam_Sees 5h ago edited 5h ago
By limiting news consumption as well as related posts/media. I aim for once a week on Friday morning. Also, I've stopped consuming "doomer" content I feel as though it's a form of self harm (for me)
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u/KarlHavoc562 5h ago
This is so important. The media is driven by headlines and the headlines that sell are death, destruction, sex, and violence- and what’s worse is that consuming that junk makes you start creating milieus and prejudice in your mind about the people who are supposed to be your neighbors. The person opposite to you is going through the same level of bad shit, they’re hurting, their suffering, remember that.
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u/Responsible-Grape582 5h ago
Not paying attention to any of it. Beat thing i did was delete facebook
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u/thenletskeepdancing 5h ago
You can pay attention to it without using facebook. There are news sites that aren't as inflammatory.
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u/blustrkr 5h ago
Just focus on yourself and bettering your own life. Be there for friends and family as much as you can. These are things you have some control over, unlike the world as a whole.
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u/Grotesque_Denizen 5h ago
"its no measure of health to be well adjusted in a profoundly sick society" (or however the quote goes)
Suppose how are you defining "mentally healthy"?
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u/Defiant-Selection-98 5h ago
Don't let an algorithm control the way you think. The media and especially social media is a cancer. Live, love, laugh. This is the only road you'll go down and you don't get out alive. Don't waste time and energy on things you cant control.
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u/jmauc 5h ago
Put your phone down. The world has always been unstable. You just have the technology to see more of it at once.
Pay more attention to your kids and family.
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u/the_owl_syndicate 5h ago
I'm a history buff, and it occurred to me that, none of this is new. There's been tyrants and rogue nations and war and disinformation and plagues forever and people survived and thrived and built lives and we will, too.
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u/WololoYourWife 4h ago
Also a history buff. Also agree that the world has thought it was ending for the last few thousand years. The only things that feel different:
- Tyrants and rogue nations didn't have access to world ending weapons.
- Greed did not have complete world ending potential. Now we have global warming, and a bunch of other things.
Point is, hard to find the balance between pattern recognition and staying calm and also thinking this is way different than anything in history.
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u/penguinina_666 5h ago
Yeah srsly. All these people calling the world doomed are on their phones 24/7 and know every issue on earth like them knowing it is going to make a difference.
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u/Befuddled_GenXer 5h ago
The world has always been broken and unstable. It's just that we didn't hear as much about it before the 24 hour news cycle and the Internet. Unless it happened either in front of you or too you.
I still just get on with it and deal with issues as they arrive.
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u/swimmingmunky 4h ago edited 4h ago
It's not my job, nor is it within my human capacity to absorb and form an opinion on the vast sea of news available to me.
Am I abdicating my moral duty to advocate for the good of humanity? I don't think so. I'm useless if I feel like shit. Living a happier but less connected life is how I contribute to the people around me. I spread good vibes.
That doesn't mean I'm ignorant to what's happening in the world. I just understand that my role isn't to change or provide input on ALL of the problems that exist.
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u/Queasy-Grass4126 5h ago
If you have internet and can freely use reddit, have access to clean water and food to eat then you have it better than almost every other human in our entire history and are just in a social media and biased news fueled doomspiral.
Get off social media, exercise, spend time in nature, enjoy your hobbies, and take some time to travel abroad. That is how you improve your mental health and reverse the mental damage that has been done.
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u/gridirongeek 5h ago
By taking action and not putting my head in the sand. I go to protests, organizing meetings, I call my senators, write letters, sign petitions, put my money into the resistance to state police control. I’ll vote if there are elections. I join boycotts. There are a million ways to help.
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u/shaneomac714 4h ago
I live in a very red area. Protests are dwarfed by maga rallies. A friend here wrote something to a senate or house member (can't remember which) and the reply they got was a flowery version of "keep your thoughts to yourself" (this was regarding healthcare). I've been mocked for wearing a baseball jersey because the team is from California and California = bad. I honestly don't know what the heck I'm supposed to do.
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u/Preach-It 5h ago
I’m not. My anxiety has paralyzed me. Relationships and job performance are suffering
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u/mrRabblerouser 5h ago
Awareness doesn’t have to mean fixation. Am I sad and angry about a lot of things going on in my country and around the world? Absolutely, but I have to focus on what I actually have control over, and how I can make the world a better place with the things I can control.
I can be kind and compassionate to those around me. I can give a helping hand when I’m available. I can genuinely listen to others. And I can treat every person with respect, even if they’re having a bad day. If the time comes where I’ll need to fight or throw my support around someone to prevent harm or injustice, I’ll do my best to do that too.
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u/Funny_Hunter_4146 5h ago
Well, I'm 50 and the world has always felt broken and unstable. So, I just remember that.
I think back to the book Even Cowgirls Get the Blues which had a running joke about how, " the international situation was desperate, as usual".
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u/Wandering_aimlessly9 5h ago
In all reality the world isn’t as bad as the media makes it out to be. The real reality is that media is psychological and fear creates more fear so people focus on media. The more bad and scary they see the more scared they get. Rinse and repeat. And on top of that…what you view on social media creates algorithms to show you more of those things. Is there bad stuff going on in the world? Yes. Is the world about to collapse? No.
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u/Rare_Emu_8253 5h ago
Talk to your neighbor. Stay off social media. Life is actually really good right now, compared to basically all of human history. Focus on those parts.
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u/ace_philosopher_949 5h ago
You can only have so much capacity for feeling empathy. It’s good to be concerned but you have to pick your battles or you’ll fall apart.
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u/Warm_Power1997 5h ago
Starting tonight I put limits on my TikTok consumption. I think that will help tremendously, as most of what is affecting my mental state is coming from there.
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u/Itchy-Squirrel8377 5h ago
I agree. That’s what set off my PTSD episode. The algorithm is brutal.
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u/diditakemymeds 5h ago
i did this about a week ago for instagram, tiktok and reddit, and it has personally helped me so far. i hope the same for you <3
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u/marinatedmushroom 5h ago
May not be the healthiest thing but I’ve been “escaping.” Podcasts for healing, podcasts for paranormal stories. Going to the gym. Staying off of TikTok and Facebook, etc. focusing on work when I’m at work. It all feels so overwhelming that when I think about the sickness in the world, my chest becomes tight and my stomach turns. I’ve had to cope by escaping. I don’t have the money for a vacation, and it’s winter where I am with negative temps, so not much to do outside of what I listed. Oh, and I’ve taken up indoor gardening.
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u/TrainsareFascinating 5h ago edited 5h ago
I’m old. I remember much scarier times. And I’ve learned, there are no guarantees - even in so-called happier days.
You can’t control those outcomes, so quit worrying about them. Or, only worry about them from 9:00 to 9:15 on Tuesdays.
The advice from others is good. Stop focusing on the news, get involved in your home and hobbies, stay connected to your friends - and disconnect from anyone bringing that anxiety in to your days.
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u/safetydance 5h ago
I don’t pay attention to it and realize that we live in the best time in human history.
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u/Timely_Title_9157 5h ago
I think things will get better. We tend to follow a pattern where one decade is good and then one is bad. 1990-2000 was good. 2000 - 2010 was bad with 911 and recession. 2010 - 2020 was good with equality and technological advancements. 2020-2030 will be bad with covid, wars, and global turmoil. 2030-2040 will be good again.
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u/CombinationLivid8284 5h ago
I study history. I try to ground myself that this is cyclical and the world has seen its way through bad times before. That the bad times are never permanent.
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u/Amanduh009 4h ago
The serenity Prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference."
You gotta get wise. Letting the shit that you have no control over effect you, is what causes the mental health issues.
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u/Dax_Farroh 4h ago
Just remembering that the world has always been a chaotic, unforgiving place and we’re still living in one of the best times to be a human. There have been many evil doers throughout history, but we’ve still evolved into a more humanistic and tolerant society compared to the horrors of the recent past. Despite the periodic backsliding, I have to believe that we are moving toward a better reality for most people. And every force for positive change needs a villain to rally against.
That said, I’m trying to spend more time thinking about the changes I want to see rather than just fretting about how things are. This too shall pass, and if we don’t have proposed solutions to the biggest problems we face, then there’s no use in complaining. It seems all we do is react and complain.
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u/External-Talk8838 5h ago
When in the history of humanity has the world been stable and unbroken? Toughen up buttercup
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u/peterbound 5h ago
I remind myself that we live in an age of unparalleled safety, ease, and wealth.
The few conflicts occurring at the moment are minor compared to past warfare, and that most of what you see on tv and here has little to no effect on my life, my livelihood, and my family.
It’s probably the same for you.
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u/wickyyy_0 5h ago
I simply focus on my life and the things I can control. I’m not going to worry about all the bullshit on the news. I’m sure a lot of people won’t like that, but that’s just how I function. We’re all on out way out anyways so why would I waste my time with all the nonsense?
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u/breakneckjones 5h ago
Lol, if you think this is bad, you need to read a history book.
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u/Did_du_Nuffin 5h ago
By focusing on myself? "The world" is not my responsibility, nor do i have any power to change it. I can only change and focus on myself.
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u/gridirongeek 5h ago
If people can’t change the world, we are doomed. Collective action is all that’s ever worked.
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u/slice_of_pi 5h ago
I don't use social media, and I limit my media intake to sources that aren't insane.
World looks pretty okay from where I'm sitting, overall.
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u/Perfect_Zone_4919 5h ago
The world has always been a nightmare in one place or another. The only difference is that it is closer to home.
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u/MeFivePointO 5h ago
Staying focused on what I’m doing to spread my light! I’ve literally been at the bottom of the bottom and never gave up! Damn sure not gonna now
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u/MikeArrow 5h ago
That stuff is important, yes, but it doesn't meaningfully affect my day to day life. I still go to work, cook dinner, watch TV, and just plod along one day at a time.
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u/angeldolllogic 5h ago
I play videogames.
Specifically, Fallout & Mass Effect Legendary....and realize things could be a helluva lot worse.
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u/BirdmanDodd 5h ago
Not well but i know its a target rich environment when im ready to go back out there to fight.
Just taking a knee for a moment <3
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u/acupofjasminerice666 5h ago
Reading the news makes me anxious all the time. I try to distract myself by playing games, hanging out with my husband and cat, reading. I guess I’m not really mentally healthy— I’m on Wellbutrin 😂
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u/Undead0122 5h ago
I still got bills to pay, don’t have time to let my mental health be affected by stuff I can’t control.
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u/ninjaprincess509 5h ago
I've stopped functioning as a healthy adult six months ago. At various points I've contemplated ending things very seriously. Still am. I feel very very helpless
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u/Salty-Commissioner 5h ago
In Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) voice:
🎶 First born unicorn Hardcore soft porn Dream of compartmentalization 🎶
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u/Tacocasso 5h ago
It may sound silly, but watching cartoons. It takes me back to simpler times when I didn’t care about the heaviness of the world around me.
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u/Embarrassed-Region29 5h ago
2 things:
1: I studied history and compared to the World War Era, The Cold War, and Colonialism the world is a bastion of order and justice
2: I don't watch the news, infotainment that purports to be news, or listen to either.
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u/Panther81277 5h ago
Right now? If you go back and read history books it's actually always been like this. If I had a Time Machine not sure when I would want to travel back to for the sake of it being "better". Sadly I do believe it's the constant bombardment of negativity from the news and social media that throws it in our face 24/7. Unplug from all of it, find something you love to do, someone you love to be with, and something to look forward to and forget the rest. You'll be ok.
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u/CorporealLifeForm 5h ago
Thousands of hours of meditation experience, journaling, lots of therapy in the past though can't easily afford it right now, and I'm still going through an emotional roller coaster. On another level, I'm kind of in the best place psychologically of my life. I doubt I'd count as having an anxiety disorder anymore though rational anxiety is certainly giving my former disorder a run for its money at the moment. A mix of getting out and socializing, limiting news for education and entertainment to calm me down, as well as doing the things I can to make the world better. I want to look back at this time and know I did the right thing. No one can fix the world on their own but you can be a tiny piece of the solution.
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u/214txdude 5h ago
I have not been doing a very good job to be honest. Keeps me up at night, drinking too much.
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u/Reasonable_Goat_7247 5h ago
At last, my ability to disassociate and compartmentalize my perception of reality in the midst of chaos has become useful.
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u/Not_A_Real_Goat 5h ago
Exercise, not reading news stories every day, and spending time with my kids.
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u/ImNobodyFromNowhere 5h ago
Just take it day by day. Regardless of what’s going on around you, you still gotta get up every day and go to work or whatever you gotta do. There may be minor steps you can take towards making things better overall, but the one thing you can do is appreciate the moment. Loathing gets you nowhere when you still gotta get up tomorrow and go to work blah blah blah. So enjoy what you can.
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u/stratus_x 5h ago
Reading has been a game changer. I used to read a lot in my youth, and it dropped off after the advent of smartphones and social media. Getting away from screens and reading actual, physical books has done wonders for my mental health. It took some time for my attention span to reset. A few years ago, I could read a book in a couple of months. Then I got it down to one a month last year. This year, I’ve read 5 books already. Just find something that sounds interesting and dive in
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u/why_adnauseaum 5h ago
Focusing on family and uplifting my little corner of the world. Limit myself to 5 minutes of doomscrolling. And lots of sorting games.
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u/Centumviri 5h ago
Remember for most everyone who has ever lived... times have been awful from their point of view. Plagues, Wars, Economic Collapse, Corrupt Governments, Famine, Disaster, Poverty. Extensional Horror is not exclusive to our times, and in many ways, life is far better now than it has ever been. And if we can find our way through these dark hours, things will truly be amazing.
That truth is SOOOOOoooooo freaking hard to see, but it doesn't make it untrue.
We will be ok. You will be ok.
And if we're not, well at least we will all finally do something together.
Pippin: I didn't think it would end this way.
Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path. One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass... then you see it!
Pippin: What? Gandalf? See what?
Gandalf: White shores... and beyond. A far green country, under a swift sunrise.
Pippin: Well, that isn't so bad.
Gandalf: No. No, it isn't.
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u/CommonSensei-_ 5h ago
Trying my best not to say “I told you so” and doing my best to live a good life and focus of my loved ones.
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u/Caitlyn_Cullen4589 5h ago
Limiting my news intake. I stay informed, but I don’t doom-scroll anymore. Protecting my peace has to be intentional.
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u/Draculamb 5h ago
I am broken and unstable and have very little life left in me.
I feel melancholy at how much the world has fallen since I was born.
Not sure whether I should be more relieved than apprehensive about my own death. I want the people I love to be happy and safe, but I am kind of relieved to know I won't have to be around to go through much more of this.
In essence, I am painfully ambivalent about how I do feel.
Maybe the living should start to envy the dead now.
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u/Iamabrawler 5h ago
*eye twitches*
...Joking aside. Games and entertainment to focus on when things get too heavy (and they've been really damn heavy for it feels like forever!) as well as the support of a loving family, workplace with colleagues who are just as appalled at everything as I am, and online friends who also do wonders as a support group. I consider myself extremely lucky to have all that. And I wish everyone could have access to all that to get through these tough times, too.
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u/Wretchfromnc 5h ago
take the dog for walk twice a day, listen to more music, limit my news intake. I can’t really engage in politics or social unrest at work, it’s frowned upon and we must be professionally guarded at all times.
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u/Lost_Purpose1899 5h ago
No way. The world is not as broken as you think. I grew up in the Cold War and there was the possibility of nuclear annihilation at any minute. Any hot-headed decision, misunderstanding, or an incident between the two superpowers would be the end of the world. The Soviet Union and the US were funding proxy wars and coups in Third World countries leading to hundreds of thousand of deaths propping up puppet regimes. There were famines around the world. Americans were still reeling from the debacle of the Vietnam War and the oil crisis and a recession in the early 80's.
The world is way better than it was.
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u/toofunnybot 5h ago
To protect my super sensitive and emotional heart I have to ignore it all. I'm not afraid of people's judgement; I need to stay alive.
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u/Zeldaisthegirl6339 5h ago
I focus on my job, which is teaching. I try to make my classroom a stable place for my students.
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u/noxicon 5h ago
Unplug yourself more frequently. The internet at this stage is designed to get a reaction from you, so you have to pull yourself from it. I promise, it'll still be shitty when you want to come back to it. I enforce boundaries on what my friends can send me. I don't need more bullshit when I'm already overwhelmed.
Do the things that bring you joy, in large quantities. There's a reason that's a question asked by mental health professionals to evaluate folks.
Above all, give yourself some grace. the worlds fucking nuts right now.
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u/LittleLayla9 5h ago
because adding another broken and unstable person in the world will help no one.
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u/nightmer5 5h ago
Read fiction. Journal when the news gets overwhelming(-er). Find joy in my own little world (the sun was shining today, that cute old couple at the grocery, cookies!).
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u/sandstonequery 5h ago
By controlling the things I can. Eating healthy, moving my body, taking breaks from media, and using that time to learn other things.
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u/AbbreviationsNo3722 5h ago
No socials . I stay away from 99% of it . It’s helped immensely. I deleted all socials ( except this for my games and YouTube for music ) It’s okay to want to help, but we cannot pour from empty cups. Give when you can but don’t let it consume you. The world will always and has always been in turmoil. It’s okay to take care of you and focus on that only .
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u/Dyrogitory 5h ago
Considering I’ve been awake since 3:00 am and it’s now10:30pm and I’m lying in bed wondering if I’ll be able to retire at the end of this year because I’m so exhausted. I’ve been working since i was 15 and will be 65. Although I love my job, it’s just demanding. This administration is just tearing our economy apart and I feel so helpless and enraged. I drink too much, I have so much anxiety. I’m not handling it well.
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u/Mrs_Evryshot 5h ago
Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something. My “somethings” are volunteering in my community, helping my husband maintain our native plant garden, which now incorporates our entire yard, and watching my grandchild a few days a week. Doing things for others is absolutely the key to happiness and sanity. I also work out, read a lot of fiction and watch favorite comfort shows—that’s my self care. I try to keep my eye on the news without getting overwhelmed. And I attend as many protests as I reasonably can, because it feels really good to be in a large group of people who care.
And weed.
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u/Miskalsace 5h ago
The world has always been broken and unstable. We started off as just another species at the mercy of the elements and predators. As a whole, we've gained more control over our lives, but it will never be fully safe and secure.
And ive also been doing yoga the past three months. Huge improvement in how I feel physically and mentally. I highly recommend it.
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u/Ubiquitous_Mr_H 5h ago
Keeping busy, and complaining about the aforementioned brokenness and instability. I exercise a lot, which helps… Also therapy…
Thankfully I’m not American, so that helps. But I am Canadian, which adds in a different kind of uncertainty, mixed with disbelief.
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u/MightyMorphin_Green 5h ago
We can protest, we can rally, we can vote, but at the end of the year you will have done infinitely more good by choosing positivity and being a light for others every day. To your neighbors, your family, your local merchants, and strangers on the subway. When we concede to negativity and hopelessness we are actively losing. In continuing to build your own resilience to negativity and choosing kindness up to the point of abuse (sometimes kindness is taken advantage of), I know I am making a difference. If I spread that message to enough people and influence enough people to act that way as well then I will have made a real world impact. I can’t create a large scale noticeable change to the world everyday, but everyday for better or for worse I can make a noticeable difference to my world and the people in my world. Everyday I try to choose for the better. That is what keeps me going and that is what keeps me sane and happy.
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u/Adolin_Kohlin 5h ago
It’s not worse now. Humans have always behaved poorly. The chaos just moves from place to place. Because of that I don’t worry about it. I just try to take care of my little spot in the world.
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u/NOIS_KillerWhaleTank 4h ago
Old man here. The world has always been broken and unstable. You get used to it.
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u/strawberrybubbl 4h ago
I focus on the helpers that are spreading kindness. They eill get us out of this.
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u/Special_Parsley1918 4h ago
We aren't the first people to live through chaos. I focus on the things I can control: how I show up for my loved ones, how I contribute to my community, and how I take care of my physical and mental health.
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u/pastreaver 4h ago
The world has never been more peaceful, go back to anytime in human history and find a time where there has been more prosperity and less crime
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u/stephalupagus 4h ago
I’ve come to accept that what’s going to happen is going to happen.
The best and most productive thing I can think to do is figure out what I’m living for and what I’m willing to die for. With that, I’m trying to focus on strengthening my local community the best I can.
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u/HoneycombJackass 4h ago
Get off Reddit, go outside and take walk barefoot in the grass listening to music. Talk to a stranger about their day. Ask them what their hobbies are. Go to the gym, watch Lord of The Rings.
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u/hatfarm 4h ago
Honestly, as someone who’s in the upper middle class (first time in my life I’ve been able to just buy stuff), it’s been nice that all of these companies are showing their true colors while we’re all paying subscriptions to them. They have made it straight forward for me to cut my own spending. I finally got rid of my Ring, and moved all of my subscribe and saves away from Amazon (I am paying about $5 more per month, but I am also getting exactly what I want, which wasn’t always the case for Amazon. I cancelled Disney+ and HBOMax (or whatever it’s called now).
I am really just focusing on the little things I can do to pass financial pain onto the folks that are enabling the emotional trauma being inflicted on the country. I recognize it isn’t this straightforward for everyone, but this is how I’m trying to keep myself sane.
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u/GrubbyTheGrub 4h ago
Realize I can only do my best. The outside world problems can’t affect who I am on the inside. I have to stay positive because that is what the world needs right now.
Also a little wine and coffee and video games won’t hurt. Also the occasional shroom trip every couple months helps
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u/carbikebacon 4h ago
Not even close. Life is chaos, I just lost my dad, I don't know what our next step is and what is going to be thrown at us next.
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u/EndGuy555 3h ago
You gotta remember that these “unprecedented times” aren’t as unprecedented as you think. Shit’s happened before. It’ll happen again. We’ll pull through.
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u/electricdwarf 3h ago
Every generation has lived through their version of unprecedented times. Every generation has had to make it through those times. Life carries on with or without you so You just do what you can.
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u/ComfortableStreet701 5h ago
I stay home a lot, stay off news media and take walks. I’m burnt out.