Handling Anxiety in a Fearful, Stressful, Even Toxic, World

Our world, it seems, is becoming increasingly toxic; handling anxiety in this fearful, stressful environment can sometimes seem impossible. Negativity swirls around us like dead leaves tossed about in a gust of wind. (And it can feel like the wind picks up not just dead leaves but gravel, pelting us with the gravel; and it can feel like the wind is so violently strong that we can’t move.) It’s not uncommon right now to feel alone in that wind storm because everyone else is trapped in their own anxious storms (Despite Paralyzing Anxiety, There Are Ways To Move). Are humans still driven by kindness, or are they driven by hate toward those who disagree with them? It can be difficult to handle anxiety in a fearful, stressful, toxic world.

Many people say that because of the fear, stress, and toxicity that currently exists in our world, their traditional anxiety coping skills are insufficient to calm fears and reduce anxiety (Coping Skills for Mental Health and Wellbeing). This feeling of powerlessness further increases anxiety. Feeling powerless makes sense given the climate right now; however, powerless does not mean helpless. There are ways to handle anxiety, build a sense of control, and move forward despite stress and fear about the world around us.

“We want to challenge each of you to see the good in others… and to be the good others see in you.” — Greg Borgerding, high school principal

Five Steps to Handle Anxiety in Our Toxic, Fearful, Stressful World

1. Separate yourself from the noise. Think of it as coming unglued. Personalizing world events increases anxiety because it can make us feel directly responsible for problems (The Solution for News Media Anxiety). Distance yourself by intentionally keeping track of your own life and the positive things in it. Coming unglued this way actually allows you to free up your empathy and use it in your own world.
2. Accept what you can’t change. Accepting that there are things you can’t change increases your power and control. When we’re caught up in big issues that we can’t directly impact, we can feel paralyzed by our anxiety. You can still have empathy, concern, and caring, but by accepting that you can’t change certain things, you can start to move despite your anxiety. You can focus on those things close to you that you can impact positively.
3. Control what you let in. Visualize an invisible filter surrounding you like a soft, comfortable blanket. This filter is a boundary that you create for yourself. We are bombarded by other people’s thoughts, feelings, behaviors, interpretations of information, misinformation, and a desire to be noticed. It never ends unless we set limits (The Anxious Empath: Anxiety And Other People’s Feelings). News and social media exposure can be detrimental to your mental health when done too frequently or for too long. Tune into your physical and emotional reactions as well as the quality and content of your thoughts. When you notice signs of anxiety, stress, fear, and more, turn away.
4. Define your values. What in your life, in your own sphere of influence, is important to you? Instead of ruminating over what’s wrong everywhere, decide what is important to you in your own world and focus on that. Defining your values is effective in handling anxiety.
5. Live your values. Know what is the most important to you and delineate positive action steps for achieving it. Who can you reach out to in your own community to help in a positive way?

Handling Anxiety in a World of Fear and Stress Involves Your Own Values, Actions

Having anxiety about what’s happening around us is natural. When faced with fear, stress, and toxicity, anxiety is a normal physical and emotional response. Happily, we’re not helpless and there are many things we can control.

Among other things, we can control:

• Who we are as a human being
• What we value
• What actions we take every single day to make our lives better as well as improve the lives of those around us

With value-driven choices and actions, we don’t just handle our anxiety but drastically reduce it.

In a recent letter to his students, parents, teachers, and the greater school community, high school principal Greg Borgerding wrote, “We want to challenge each of you to see the good in others . . . and to be the good others see in you.”

This values- and action-oriented mindset is the key to handling anxiety in a fearful, stressful, and even toxic world.

Let's connect. I blog here. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. My self-help book and four mental health novels, including one about severe anxiety disorders, are here.