In Troubled Times: Antidote to Despair

Following the 2016 election, I wrote a series called In Troubled Times. It seems appropriate to post these again now. This came out on December 9, 2016
Recently a friend voiced her despair about the effect of theelections and the president-elect’s nominations on the future of the planet. Shesaid “fear” was too mild a term. Her conversation kept referencing thePermian extinction event and the destruction of the Earth. I admit I didn’trespond well. I tend to react to emotion-laden exaggerations of complex issues,and that reaction overrode the compassionate thing to do, which was to listento her feelings. My mind flipped from a conversation about emotions to oneabout facts. Needless to say, she was not interested in whether currentprojects are for a target global warming of 3.6 degrees or 4 degrees Celsius.
In observing my own mind, I notice what I do when faced withthe notion of looming ecological disaster. I run away to information. In thiscase, at least, I find it calming. The facts don’t change, but researching theissue and reading the considered opinions of people with legitimate scientificcredentials who have studied the matter in depth changes my emotional reaction.I suspect a portion of this runs along the lines of, “Whew, I don’t have to figure this out all on my own!” I’m only one ofmany who are grappling with the problem.
Clearly, this was not my friend’s process. A little bit ofinformation (the Permian extinction event plunged her into even greater hopelessness.From this I take away something so simple, its profound truth often escapes me:we don’t all cope with stressful news in the same way.
I’ve written about paying attention to what makes me feelcalmer or more distraught, and then making mindful choices. Although informationis helpful to me, it can also have an addictive quality. We writers joke aboutdoing so much research on a novel project, the book never gets written.Similarly, I can mire myself in one source after another until I go numb. Thatnumb state is a sure sign I’ve either made a poor choice or gone too far.
Blogging about my process, however, seems not to have a downside. I suspect this is because such writing puts me in better touch with myfeelings and increases my sensitivity to what is good for me and what is harmful.It has the added benefit of being of service to others who are wrestling withthe same issues, searching for a way through the morass of upset feelings to a wayforward in what the Buddhists call “right action.”
Reaching out to others, offering my help, sharing myexperience and insight and listening to their own, all these things lift mefrom despair.
What things help you?