The world we live in is as tumultuous as ever. Our everyday lives are often more defined by disorder than stability. We’re inevitably faced with challenges each day, and the chaos of our days can have a definite impact. But how we make sense of this chaos affects our ability to respond effectively, innovatively, and creatively.
Strength and resilience are the two most foundational aspects for navigating these turbulent waters. Yet, they remain in the abstract without implementing practical techniques. For those interested in learning how to support mental well-being more deeply, pursuing an online masters degree in mental health counseling can help turn everyday techniques into meaningful, professional skills.
Stay with us as we discuss techniques to help you thrive during chaos and upheaval.
Focus On What You Can Control
When the world around you feels like it is spiralling out of control, the first and foremost step is to narrow your focus. While it’s important to stay informed, constantly bombarding yourself with information about things that you cannot control can severely erode your sense of well-being.
You can, however, control your daily habits, set boundaries, and reflect on how you respond to stress. Ask yourself, ‘What is within my control right at this moment?’ It may seem like a small question, but it cultivates an important mindset shift. By doing this, you redirect your brain toward making actionable decisions that yield immediate results, developing a sense of agency, which is especially important in uncertain times.
Limit Your Exposure
The reality? Your smartphone can often become a main pipeline constantly pumping cortisol, the stress hormone, into your brain. On the flipside, using it can also flood your mind with dopamine, the ‘feel-good’ hormone, which can make us dependent on our phones, like a drug.
When it comes to smartphone connectedness, there’s a fine line between staying informed and overexposure: the latter has been proven to perpetuate stress. A 2022 study found that ‘doomscrolling’ in particular causes high levels of psychological distress and negative effects on mental health and well-being. If you find yourself reading headlines in bed, watching political commentary during lunch, and scrolling before sleep, you likely need a detox.
An easy way to do this is to start setting boundaries, such as choosing when you check the news and how long you are to do this (e.g., setting a timer). Another way is a ‘news fast’, where you abstain from checking any news or media updates for a given period of time, whether that be on weekends or a particular day.
Overexposure through doomscrolling can also be avoided by setting screentime limits or turning off notifications entirely; these options are available on all modern phones. Limiting our exposure can make us feel calmer and more focused amidst the chaotic world we live in, as well as allowing us the space to replace news consumption and doomscrolling with more productive and uplifting activities, such as creative hobbies.
Manage Your Thoughts
When we are uncertain, the brain instinctively tries to predict the future, and often defaults to the worst-case scenario. This is referred to as catastrophizing or negative bias. It’s an embedded survival mechanism in our brains, but it largely works against us in modern life. Some examples of this include vicious cycle-eseque thought loops, such as constantly asking yourself ‘What if I lose my job?’ or ‘What if things never get better?’, even when nothing bad is happening.
An effective practice to put a halt to these thought loops is to recognize these thoughts, challenge them, and separate them from what is true. Our fears are most often predictions, not facts. Practicing this type of mental reframing ensures that you are the one controlling your thoughts, not letting them control you. Meditation, mindfulness, self-reflection, and positive affirmations are other helpful techniques that can assist with this.
Self-Care
Anxiety and stress don’t just live in your head. They can be expressed physically as well, whether that be headaches, inflammation, or a decline in immunity.
For this reason, self-care becomes especially important when stuck in a perpetual fight-or-flight state. Moving around, breathing routines, and physical exercise are some of the many powerful ways to ensure we do not spiral out of control amidst potential disorder or chaos. They also protect and care for the nervous system.
Get Out There
Getting outdoors is essential for restoring balance, and doing so can actually change your brain for the better. The sounds of birds, the greenery around you, and the clear blue sky can be the most effective reset button, either before the day begins or after the day to wind down.
Allocate a time during the day to take a short walk. Even that can dramatically shift your mood; it releases mood-boosting endorphins, those remarkable neuropeptides that can elevate your mood for the rest of the day.
Seek People Who Bring You Light
Humans are social beings, and having connections with others is not a want, but a basic need for our functioning. Connection with others is a crucial element to providing emotional balance; having healthy relationships actively counterbalances stress, anxiety, and feelings of despair.
Connecting with others does not have to be long and profound; it can be simply emailing or texting a friend, sharing some banter with a coworker, or even just sitting on a couch with a loved one and doing nothing.
The best connections are the ones where you can both thrive through the chaos together, the power of the shared story. Your network does not have to consist of tons of friends and family; having a few quality relationships can go a long way in providing you with emotional support and a sense of belonging during times of stress.
Make Space for Yourself
Finally, the precondition of thriving is retreat and rest. Designating a personal sanctuary for yourself is the first step towards this. This space can be in your own home, or a small corner with a comfy chair, a room with your favorite books, or even a spot in your backyard garden.
These spaces are where you can calm down immediately, and if you use them as frequently as possible, you will discover the harmony between the mental and the material (mind and body). These are spaces for both relaxation and joy. The next time you feel drained, use them to reset your mind and take notice of how your mood shifts.
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