Staying Sane in a Turbulent World

Dear Stressed, 

I’ll pass along to you what I learned from Daniel Hunter, a nonviolence trainer working with social movements across the globe. 

1. Trust yourself 

I agree with Hunter that trust-building starts with trusting your own eyes and gut. When you see and hear someone speaking, don’t be swayed by those who say the person didn’t say what they said. You HEARD the words. 

This also means that you must be trustworthy with information and emotions. Hunter writes, “If you’re tired, rest. If you’re scared, make peace with your fears. If you need to stop checking your phone compulsively, do it. If you don’t want to read this article now and would rather take a good walk, do it. Start with trusting your inner voice. Trust in self is foundational for a healthy movement life.”

2.  Find others who you trust

You need others to help ground you. Hannah Arendt, author of The Origins of Totalitarianism, uses the word verlassenheit — often translated as loneliness — to describe a kind of social isolation of the mind. Find like-minded people with whom you can safely share your fears, anger, or even victories. 

Having a trusted circle will help you explore your own thinking and support each other. Hunter writes, “Fear breeds distance. We must consciously break that distance.

3. Grieve

Hunter writes, “Grief is a pathway to acceptance.” If you’re feeling a sense of loss, stop rationalizing, intellectualizing, ignoring, or compartmentalizing. These actions will damage your body and mind. 

Speak with others or journal about your feelings of anxiety, which likely come from a feeling of loss or helplessness. Grieving will help move you from disbelief to action, whether it’s about a single issue or global turmoil. 

4. Release that which you cannot change

A mainstay for my personal ability to stay grounded is the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr wrote this during the rise of Nazi Germany.

What issues can you work to change? What issues (despite the fact you care deeply) can you do nothing about? The desire to act on everything often leads to paralysis. 

5. Find your path

If you’re able-bodied, find demonstrations in which you can participate. Use the talents you possess. Write editorials or letters to the editor, make calls, send texts, or send postcards. 

Seek ways to protect people you care about from being bullied or misrepresented. Defend institutions that you feel serve an important purpose.

Get involved with a political organization that embraces your opinions. Help them develop a vision for the future. Volunteer with a community organization. Helping others will take your mind off your own distress. 

Hunter writes, “Political space that you don’t use, you lose. This is for all levels of society — lawyers advising nonprofits, leaders worried about their funding base, folks worried about losing their jobs.” 

In my experience, using your voice in whatever way you can will help relieve some of the stress and anxiety you’re feeling.