Today’s World Scares Me a Lot and I Want Normality to Return

Since 2020 we have experienced a series of events that can cause us fear and a lot of uncertainty; and thanks to scientific and technological evolution we believed ourselves safe from diseases and other dangers.

In recent months, cases of anxiety and depression have multiplied considerably, not to mention the mental disorders that are proliferating in our society or the increase in the number of suicides (a topic that is still very little talked about). At the MOMA Center we observe daily that Families are having a hard time handling all of this: new conflicts arise or those we were already struggling with worsen, coexistence becomes complicated, we feel suffocated, our children need our advice and protection and couples argue more often… Are we losing the illusion of living?

We are not going to go into truths or lies, guilty or innocent, nor causes or solutions, our objective as a center of care and therapeutic support for families is to provide resources to be able to face a reality that continues to surprise us

The ability to face crises is within us

Perhaps our world is shaking… Before, years ago, it didn’t, were we happier, or did we believe we were? It seems that our world changes and moves at breakneck speed, and the worst of all is that we feel very vulnerable and helpless. Who is going to protect us from all these threats?

Humanity has, however, experienced other “annus horribilis” before: in the year 542 an epidemic broke out that made almost a quarter of the world’s population disappear, in 1918 the Spanish plague spread (so called because it only reported on it in Spain) and claimed the lives of more than 40 million people, and if that were not enough, the latter occurred after the First World War.

We have also experienced natural disasters, such as the one that occurred in the year 1600 when a volcano erupted in Arequipa, causing a tremendous famine.

It is quite a challenge to digest all this and above all to learn to manage it. Why is it so difficult? Why do we feel overwhelmed? We are not going to downplay the seriousness of the matter, we live in times of great upheaval and situations change and evolve very quickly.

It is difficult to assimilate everything that is happening for several reasons. On the one hand, Emotional Intelligence is not on the agenda in most educational centers; Study plans continue to prioritize technical knowledge over sentimental education when instilling values ​​is implicit in the art of educating.

On the other hand, human beings seek security, because it gives us a (false) feeling of control over our life and our world; however, The passage through our existence is marked by unforeseen events and obstacles from beginning to end. As Jodorowski said: “the only thing that remains is change.” If life is about change, then it makes no sense for us to be afraid of it, but we experience it because we have not been taught to deal with uncertainty, because it is difficult for us to get off the established path, because we are animals of habit. Let’s consider what is the worst that could happen.

To do?

We propose that you cultivate the following.

1. Acceptance

No matter what we do, events over which we have no control will continue to occur, so there is no point in resisting or fighting them. Rather The smart thing would be to try to put them in our favor taking out the positive if possible.

2. Trust

How difficult it is to trust when you have no guarantees of anything! How can we be calm when no one offers us certainties? We could perhaps then trust in life, which sometimes surprises us for the better. We may not have faith in anything or anyone, but at least we can always trust in ourselves, in our abilities, in finding refuge within ourselves.

3. Calm

It becomes difficult to control the mind, as it tends to accelerate and become unstoppable. This supersonic pace of life does not help us, immediacy and haste are bad companions, environmental and internal noise prevents us from achieving serenity. Applications to learn to meditate are proliferating like wildfire and sometimes it gets out of hand…

4. Take care of our language and take care of ours

We tend to speak to ourselves in a negative or harsh way, we must learn to select our thoughts because “our language is our world and, therefore, our reality”, if we speak to ourselves with more affection and with more hope, we can modify said reality, But it also has another positive effect and that is that we will transmit serenity, confidence and good vibrations to our loved ones, which becomes more necessary in these moments we are experiencing. We are not aware of the influence we have on our close people.

Let’s take special care of what we transmit to our children, they do not yet have the capacity to assimilate certain events, let us adapt the information to their age and degree of maturity and try not to keep them over-informed, it is important to generate a feeling of hope in them. Let’s avoid conveying to them the idea of ​​a catastrophic future, we can explain to them what is happening, but wrapping them in a feeling of security and protection, so that they understand that everything is temporary. It is necessary that we filter the information that we provide to them.

5. Understand that everything happens

After chaos always comes tranquility; Meanwhile, we must learn to have patience to endure difficult times.

6. Don’t focus on the negative, dedicate time to helping others

This will allow us to disconnect from our fears and problems, which sometimes we turn into continuous obsessions, and it will make us feel more united. In contrast to the people who do evil, there are many others who carry out good actions and fight for a better world. Think of ways to collaborate and contribute your grain of sand.

7. Take care of ourselves physically and mentally

We not only feed on food, but also on emotions, thoughts, nature, good conversations, laughter…Ask yourself when was the last time you laughed out loud.

8. Let’s imagine dreams and goals

The future is blank, anything can happen. Let’s continue planning beautiful moments and fun activities.

9. It is important not to always be aware of the news

What the media tells us It’s not the only thing that happens in the world and there are many approaches to consider.

10. If you feel overwhelmed or anxious, acknowledge it

Doing so is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength. Try to channel those feelings, such as sadness, through activities such as writing, talking with a friend, drawing, running, exercising or crying (find what works for you).

In conclusion…

In the end, in any tough situation that life offers us, the key is in our inner strength.

If, even after following these recommendations, you feel that you cannot or cannot cope alone at home, you can contact us at our MOMA Family Care Center, where we will be happy to assist you. We send you lots of encouragement.