Taking a break this week from posting a new chapter of the Davies (no worries, I plan to post it soon) to get some thoughts down for myself and maybe for fellow creatives who are in the same mood. It’s tough writing my little WIP or editing on other content when it seems like the world is on fire. And it may only be my corner of the world, the US, but I suspect not.

It’s “Breaking News” 24/7. Someone is shouting about something to be very afraid about every hour of the day. It’s exhausting. And some of this stuff is genuinely alarming. When I hear/read about scary things in the news, I investigate them, understand the risks, and do my best to mitigate them. Avian pandemics, aviation disasters, trade-wars, and an unstable government, are just a few of ongoing crises. What the ever-loving, fluffy heck am I supposed to do about those?

If I was the sort of person who could put it all on ignore and shut off my phone, I might be better off. But that’s not how I’m wired. Anxiety and I have been BFFs for most of my adult life. So how do I compartmentalize? Because I don’t want to stick my head in the sand and not pay attention, pretending that everything is fine, and I don’t want the chaos to overwhelm me.

Years ago, I was the manager of a stressed-out customer service department during the Great Recession. At the time, it felt like if I wasn’t there, on top of everything, giving my all, every minute of the day, it was going to fall to pieces. I ended up at the gastroenterologist because the stress was trying to kill me. I had to get smart about how I managed my response to the challenge since it wasn’t going to get better overnight, and I couldn’t keep living on what was left of my nerves. I learned a few things going through that trial that I’ve been trying to remember lately.

The first was to schedule a time to let yourself worry. I know this sounds nutty but hear me out. If you’re finding yourself worrying throughout the day, schedule yourself a set time daily to let it out. The rest of the time, stop it as soon as it starts. Cut off the thought and remind yourself you’re thinking about that later. You can also write down what you’re concerned about and sort of pin it to the paper. Sometimes the act of writing it out is even enough. It takes practice, but it does work.

Second, when you’re in a spiral or ‘crashing out’ ground yourself. I’m not specifically talking about the official “Grounding” i.e. connecting yourself to the earth by walking barefoot outside etc., although that’s good too. In Japan they have a practice called ‘forest bathing’ and when I have a rough day at my home office I get up from my desk and head to the garden. But here I mean stopping the whirl in your brain by taking a few breaths and focusing on your senses, grounding yourself in your body. It’s a way to stop the storm in your brain and connect with reality. You can try box breathing and other breath exercises. If you’re a person of faith, prayer is also a powerful reset. Connecting yourself back to God can pull you right out of a spiral.

Third, focus on what is important, urgent, and meaningful in your life. It’s too easy to run around stomping on tiny sparks and miss the embers in the corner about to burn the whole place down. Ask yourself, how important is this? Does this have to be done right now? Is this meaningful, does it matter in the scheme of things? Put the first things first.

Fourth, trim your social media. You do not need to follow accounts or be on platforms that raise your blood pressure. It’s okay to have a smaller social media presence that you get more out of. There is nothing wrong with curating your feed until it’s just cute animal videos and cookie recipes. Social media is not a requirement of life. You do not have to participate in what only tears you down.

Fifth, find the things that fill your soul, and make them a priority. For writers, making time for writing is an obvious one, but you also need to make time for reading too – gotta fill up that creative well. Write from a cafe and people-watch if that’s your thing. See a movie, walk in the woods. If you’re a crafter, make sure you set aside time to do what you love guilt-free. Those hours can keep you sane.

I hope you find something helpful in this. Remember that this life is both precious and fragile. Resist the pressures that want to keep you anxious and engaged in a market that sells your time to the highest bidder and pays you little to nothing.

Image credit: Photo by Angel Luciano on Unsplash