A meditation on the anxiety that so many of us are feeling right now due to what’s happening in our country, and what you can do.
I don’t need to tell you what the title of this post is referring to. Look at the date and do the math, and that should be all that you need to know.
Anxiety. It’s a word that travels around here almost as much as “empathy” does. People are here because they have anxiety around their financial situations. And this anxiety can stem from a myriad of sources: a sudden change in circumstance, a problem no longer able to be ignored, a challenge with a partner, a job loss, a disaster, or just a looming feeling of dread.
Some of this is, unfortunately, just part of being from the United States. While not the worst offender, the U.S. does lack in its safety net when compared with many other countries. Rising housing costs lead to homelessness, and medical costs are the leading cause of bankruptcy.
That’s appalling, but at least insurance companies can no longer deny you coverage based on a preexisting condition. (You can thank Obamacare for that.)
Part of the reason why we all have to become financial experts (at least to a certain extent) is because there is very little help out there for us. (It’s not nothing, but it’s barely sufficient.) If only we had things in place such as a more progressive tax system that didn’t penalize those who are in the most need for the benefit of the wealthy. And maybe an expanded Child Tax Credit, to name just a few ideas.
But all that aside, right now, what I think most people around me are experiencing is general, all-purpose, free-floating anxiety. And not just about their finances.
And while I don’t have any brilliant solutions, I can at least hold space for you, and tell you some things I know to be true.
Table of Contents
Anxiety serves a purpose
Your anxiety serves a purpose. It is there to protect you.
When you have a fear about something terrible happening to you, it is perfectly understandable to feel anxious as a protective measure. After all, you want to defend against that terrible thing.
So you can thank your anxiety for being there for you.
Anxiety needs a break
And you can also at the same time ask it to take a lunch break.
Anxiety is only useful up to a point. No matter how terrible the potential outcome, there is only a certain amount of going over and over and over it that can benefit you. Beyond that, all you’re doing is spinning your wheels and running yourself into the ground.
It is when we’re able to get to that point, that I suggest we switch tactics.
What can I do?
“What can I do?” is the question that can break us out of our unintentional doom loop. And action is always possible.
Take what we’re all worried about right now. What can you do? What small but non-negligible step can you take to help push away the terrible thing you’re worried about happening? I bet you there’s something.
Take care of yourself
And if you’ve exhausted your options in action, you can still ask a similar question, but now it’s “What can I do to take care of myself?”
How can you self-soothe? Is it going for a walk in the woods, working on something new, or signing up to volunteer somewhere? What would help push the anxiety out of your system so it at least has less room to spread out?
I always recommend breathing and moving in whatever you do. It really does help.
Take care of others
The site and the work that I do was inspired by the following phrase (either coined or promoted by Chris Guillebeau):
“When you don’t know what to do, find someone who needs help and help them.”
I was in precisely a position where I didn’t know what to do with myself, when I came up with financial counseling (something I had some hard-won victories in) as a way I could help people.
Over a decade later, I’m still at it—and loving it.
Something similar may be the way forward with you. There is little that is more satisfying than finding a way to take care of your community and the people around you.
Can you lend an ear to someone else who is facing similar anxiety or dread? Can you serve someone in need? How can you contribute to the betterment of the world around you?
There is always something positive that can come out of any situation, no matter how terrible.
This too shall pass
Let’s be honest, things can look pretty dark right now. And the darkness may not be over any time soon. I don’t want to sugarcoat that.
But at the same time, I also want you to look back over previous dark times that you have experienced, and survived.
I by no means want to minimize the terrible things that could befall our world right now. And at the same time, I always want you to remember that as long as you have a tomorrow, there is a chance that tomorrow will be a little better than the day before.
And that’s something I tell my clients. Every new year, every new month, every new day is a chance to get things right.
And as long as we never surrender and never back down from advocating for ours and our communities’ rights and needs—and for justice—we’ve never lost.
But in the meantime, as I’ve said many times before, vote and make your voice heard. No guarantees, but it just may help with your anxiety.
