Staying Aware Of the World Without Becoming Overwhelmed

This is not easy.Photo by SEO Galaxy on Unsplash

I’m simply stunned by how bad Trump’s administration is. They seem hell-bent on undoing decades of progress in health, the environment, human rights, inclusivity, and anything else even remotely “woke” or liberal. We have one damned planet. Sure, go ahead, let’s go back to heavy smog choking our cities, killing our drinking water, and the rest. If it makes someone money, that’s far more important.

I know this based on headlines I’ve read, and it’s sufficient to upset, enrage, terrify, and depress me. If I dig any deeper at all, I have no doubt I’ll start a doom and gloom spiral that will not benefit me or anyone else.

Staying aware without becoming overwhelmed is increasingly challenging. It’s especially hard when you still believe in the general good of the human race. I think people mostly want to experience good things. Yet, thanks to the votes of many and nonvotes of even more, here we are.

That’s just in the USA. The rest of the world? That’s even further out of any remote influence on my part, and in many ways equally frustrating, depressing, and disturbing. Yet, turning a blind eye and neglecting to be aware of the world is not of any good to me or anyone else.

So, how do I stay aware of the world without becoming overwhelmed?

Self-care cannot be neglected

Self-care is not necessarily getting a massage, hanging out by a pool in the sun while sipping Mai Tais, or indulging in some other luxury. It’s action that does your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health, wellness, and wellbeing good.

Self-care, as such, tends to be more about pausing to breathe. Meditating. Getting out into nature. Watching things that make you laugh. Reading good books. Allowing yourself time away from the madness of the world in seclusion or isolation, or simply in a comfy chair.

In the face of an increasingly mad world, this feels overly indulgent and selfish. However, it’s not. Everyone needs to reset and recharge. Self-care, in the form of doing things to care for your mind, body, and spirit, is as necessary to living as oxygen and water.

This is not about rest and sleep as much as about active work to protect and heal yourself. This is not simply physical health, wellness, and wellbeing. It must also include the mental, emotional, and spiritual. That’s because you’re not just a physical being, but also a mental, emotional, and spiritual one.

Practicing self-care in any form is not selfish. Genuine self-care does neither you nor anyone else hurt or harm, which is why it’s not selfish. But it is necessary.

Photo by Kalen Emsley on UnsplashStaying aware while avoiding becoming overwhelmed

I know people who are keeping up with every horrid, unkind, surreal, hateful action Trump and his administration are doing. They share to social media to keep the rest of us informed. But the line between sharing and oversharing is frequently and easily crossed.

Every single day, there’s something new and awful. And, some offense, if you don’t see it, you’re not paying attention. But do we really need the daily reminders that nothing about this is normal and we’re living in crazy, mixed-up times?

The answer is no. Being aware that there’s a problem is one thing. Knowing all the details about it, to every single degree and indignity, is not necessary. It’s enough to be aware that shit is happening. There’s no need to bathe in it or eat shit sandwiches.

This can feel like you’re ignoring what’s happening. But you’re not. What you’re doing is choosing to be aware without becoming overwhelmed. That’s because when you find yourself overwhelmed, you lose the ability to cope.

With that, you also lose your self-sovereignty. That means you find it harder and harder to do things you actually need and desire to do because the madness of the world is overwhelming you.

How do you stay aware without becoming overwhelmed?

Pick and choose what you read, when and how much you surf social media, and what well-meaning friends to avoid.

For example, on a Discord server with my friends, there’s a politics channel. I’ve muted it to stop getting notifications when my well-meaning friends post there. I’m working on spending less and less time on Facebook and Instagram. I’ve not read newspapers or watched TV news in years now.

Yet I still glean information so that I remain aware of what the fuck is going on out there. But I pick and choose what I observe and how I take it in to maintain my sanity. That’s how I stay aware without becoming overwhelmed.

Mostly. Sometimes someone shares something with me that is so upsetting, I feel the overwhelm coming on. So then I need to pause, take a moment, and breathe or meditate or go outside and clear my head.

There’s nothing I can do about this insanity. All I can do is be the best me that I can be. As such, maybe my best self can inspire and help others be their best. Which, in turn, increases people’s empowerment and ability to do more. That, then, might influence others to turn this shitshow around.

It all comes down to the choices and decisions you make.

How do you stay aware of the world without becoming overwhelmed?

This is the seventh-hundred-tenth (710) exploration of my Pathwalking philosophy. These weekly essays are my ideas for – and experiences with – applying mindfulness and positivity to walk along a chosen path of life to consciously create reality.

I share this journey as part of my desire to make a difference in this world and empower as many people as I can with conscious reality creation.

Thank you for joining me. Feel free to repost and share this.

The first year of Pathwalking, including expanded ideas, is available here. Check out my author website for the rest of my published fiction and nonfiction works.

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