How to Heal in Times of Uncertainty
Tips to overcome sadness and grief in today's world
To heal is to overcome. Not to push behind bad feelings of sadness or darkness, but to use them -- to feel them, to understand them, and then to move beyond them, carrying their lessons into the future.
The truth is, in this uncertain state of the world, it's easy to feel anxious, scared, and overwhelmed. We carry love and compassion for our fellow humans, so even when these events seem distant, we identify with the tragic feelings of the people and families involved with what we see in the news.
When we take on the sadness of the world, we close ourselves off to recognizing goodness around us. Overcoming and healing don't happen overnight, but there are some specific things you can do to bring love and healing to yourself and back to the world. Here are a few tips to help you find positivity, hope, and gratitude to overcome pain.
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1. Take time to process
You are not expected to just "get over it." Many of us can't get over anything until we emote a bit. The physical release of feelings is a therapeutic way of expelling negative energy from our bodies. We can understand just which parts of this situation feel so bad, and what needs to be addressed when it is time to heal. While spending too much time replaying these things in our head can trap us in an endless feedback loop, trying to stuff down negative feelings without processing them at all could mean you are never able to fully move past them.
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2. Forgive
Forgiveness of others, and of yourself, is absolutely key to healing. Carrying feelings of anger, righteousness, or hatred will work directly against any positive efforts you try to begin. While it seems impossible to forgive those who seem to be turning a blind eye to what's going on in the world, you are only perpetuating the cycle of negativity within yourself. We are what we think, so try to practice the arts of compassion and understanding even if it seems impossible.
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3. Find good news
Nothing generates positivity like more positivity. When the world feels like a terrifying place, it can seem like everything is negative. But no, there is ALWAYS something positive happening -- it's when our minds are set on negativity that it's impossible to see the good. So make an active effort. Go online and read stories of people doing good deeds for others, look at baby animal pictures, whatever makes you smile -- this will give your heart a reprieve from its heaviness, reinforce an optimistic outlook, and remind your brain how to recognize and react to goodness and positivity.
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4. Do something good for someone else
By doing something good for another, you do something good for yourself. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking there is no good in the world right now. Be the solution. Reach out to someone else who is having a hard time -- make them dinner, offer to help with their children, lend a comforting ear. Not only will you realize that you are not alone in your hardships, but by being the positive change in someone else's life, you infuse your own heart, mind, and karma with energies of generosity and support. You can prove that there IS good in this world by BEING the good in this world.
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5. Don't stop living
The first thing so many of us do when we are hit hard by life is to stop dead in our tracks. It feels like we can't move on until we feel better, but we can't start to feel better until we move on... Trying to keep up as much of your routine as possible does wonders for healing. Don't let the uncertainty of these times create fears in you that keep you from the small but meaningful daily habits that bring you joy. Even if it just feels like you're going through the motions, keeping your head and heart in a state of normalcy will help to minimize negativity and maximize positivity. The impact of fear is only as big as you allow it to be.
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