Every day, it seems, there is something big in the news that’s happening. Every day, if we’re exposed to any news, our nervous system is hijacked and we experience fear, anger, sadness, grief, overwhelm, worry, anxiety, pain. Every. Day. This is just if you’re paying attention to the news. So what must it be like, for anyone who already experienced these emotions on a daily basis prior to 2020?

How can we stay well, be our best, when we are so clobbered by everything else going on in the world?

I don’t have answers, as a therapist, I have suggestions. I have suggestions for mindfulness, breathing, trauma therapy, acceptance techniques, techniques for managing thoughts, techniques for managing emotions, techniques for communication. I have lots of things to try to help manage the emotions coming up in all this chaos. And many of these suggestions work.

Here, I don’t want to give you more suggestions. I just want to say I see you. I hear you. Everything you’re feeling about all that’s happening is real, valid, and understandable against the backdrop of your life prior to 2020.

This year may be like a trauma. It will change you. It may completely transform you. It may be something you need to talk about, make art about, write about, and live through until goodness starts to bubble up from inside of you, showing you your inherent resilience, wisdom, and power. Don’t give up now. Move those emotions through your mind and body. This experience, as tough as it is, may lead you to something truly lovely.