Most of us can agree that the world is a pretty scary place to be right now. You might ask yourself "why do I feel anxious" or you might already know it's the feelings of existential dread creeping up on you. It can feel like there is no way to escape things like laws being passed to restrict our rights, bodily autonomy being threatened, violence, climate change, racism, the economy, homophobia, sexism, transphobia, the pandemic; the list goes on. Despite all of this awfulness, we are still expected to function “normally” like nothing is wrong.
It can feel like there is nothing we can do to feel better or help the situation, but we do have some control. Here are some strategies to help bring a sense of safety when it feels like the world is closing in on us:
1. Focus on what you can control
Feelings of helplessness increase feelings of hopelessness. We feel safer when we feel in control. One of my favorite activities to do when people are experiencing anxiety is to create a “Wheel of Control.” This involves drawing a circle on a piece of paper and then writing down all of our anxieties, things we can control go inside the circle, things we can’t control go outside the circle, and things we have some control over go on the border of the circle. This usually helps us realize that we have more control than we think. It also helps us focus on the things we do have control over instead of putting our energy towards things we don’t have control over.
2. Take care of your inner child
Sometimes we need to go back to basics to feel safe. Think of what helped you feel safe and secure when you were a child. Was it a blanket, a stuffed animal, a person, a tv show, a place, a snack, a game? Each day take some time to acknowledge your inner child and do something nice for them. Incorporating things that helped you feel safe when you were little into your life now will help remind your body and brain that safety is possible.
3. Compartmentalize
The stress from the negativity in the world can feel constant and impossible to get away from. It can be helpful to dedicate small amounts of time each week to thinking about and processing what is going on in the world. Schedule a time in your week to do this. This allows us to focus on being in the moment during the rest of our days and stops the stress from bleeding out and affecting everything all the time while still acknowledging what is going on in the world.
4. Connect
Humans are naturally social creatures and connecting with others is a great way to help us feel safe. Knowing we are not alone in our struggles and feelings is incredibly important. Make time to connect with those close to you.
5. Practice gratitude
Research in Positive Psychology has shown that it takes around 5 positive thoughts to counteract a single negative one. Our goal is to bring in more positivity to counteract the negative. A great way to do this is to practice gratitude. Make a list of things you are grateful for and review it each day. When you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed try to find something in the situation you can be grateful for. It may seems strange to look for good in the terrible, but it will help us feel less stressed and overwhelmed.
6. Get involved where you can
As mentioned before, feeling in control is a great way to help us feel safe. If you are able to get involved in advocating for a better world that will help you feel more in control. Whether it's joining an organization, participating in events, sharing information on social media or making donations, getting involved can help ease some of the anxiety we are experiencing and help us capable and in control.
While none of these strategies can fix everything going on in the world, they can help us cope a little better. Every little bit helps.
Do you have strategies that help you feel safe when things are really scary? We'd love to hear about them! Comment below or send us a message here!
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