How To Stay Calm When The Whole World Is Falling Apart Mindfulness For Anxiety | Stress Managing Techniques | Healing Meditation For Fear And Stress | Pray For Ukraine | PTSD Meditation

With the pandemic being in our lives for over two years now, it feels like we have all got used to living with constant stress. But when it feels like there is a light at the end of the tunnel and things are slowly getting back to normal, boom! There is another global issue shaking up the entire world.

At some point, even when there is an armed conflict going on in another end of the globe, we may be naïve enough to think that we won’t be affected by it. But this is when globalization and empathy come into play.

Your online order is canceled. And you just learn that your favorite brand is operating in a country where the key problem is not delivery issues but the missing peace that prevents brands from working like usual.

On another note, you scroll your Instagram feed searching for an outfit inspo or a delicious dinner recipe. And instead of the regular photos and videos of beautiful peaceful life, you stumble across pain, suffering, conflicts between humans, and aggression. For everyone that has empathy, all these things taking place in the world become a cause of stress and anxiety.

As a result, everything you’ve ever wanted suddenly feels meaningless. How would you care for your daily routine and goals if the whole world is falling apart?

But even it is normal to feel this way, it doesn’t help with anything. No matter what life (or the world) throws at you, maintaining inner peace is important. Being able to maintain inner peace is vital for your mental and physical health.

Here are a few tips to help you stay calm when there is a lot going on in the world and you are experiencing fear, stress, and anxiety all at once.

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1. Don’t Focus On Things You Can’t Control

You can and should spread awareness on things that are important and things that need the attention of people around you. You can even engage in discussions so long it is healthy for you to do so.

But you should always understand that, unfortunately, not everything in the world is within your power. Again, you can engage in the collective efforts of people toward making the world a better place. But don’t overfocus on negativity and don’t forget the things you are blessed with.

Forgetting about your goals and responsibilities at times of global uncertainty won’t help. Imagine if everyone did that.

2. Cut Down Your Screen Time

Cut down your screen time to protect yourself from the massive flow of information that comes from the media. This includes not only your phone but the TV too.

While keeping up with the news and knowing what is going on in the world is important, the amount of information you are faced with can be overwhelming.

The negativity on the Internet can be disheartening and damaging to your mental health. You may wake up motivated and in the mood to tackle all your tasks. But the more time you spend online or watching TV the higher are the chances that your mood will drop and you will get absorbed in the news, spending all your time and energy on things you can’t control.

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3. Take Deep Breaths

Whenever your anxiety is peaking and you feel like the world around you is falling apart, remind yourself to take deep breaths.

In general, deep breaths help reduce stress and anxiety. While in severe cases you will certainly need additional help, simple deep breathing exercises are a way to send signals to your brain to calm and relax.

Breathing deeply and slowly may require practice. But this is a technique worth mastering as it will come in handy in a variety of life situations.

Try this simple 7-11 breathing exercise to reduce stress in the moment.

Breathe in with your stomach for a count of 7, then breathe out for a count of 11. Continue for 5 - 10 minutes and enjoy the calming effect. If breathing in for the 7-11 counts seems hard, you can reduce it to a 3-5 count. Just make sure that the exhale is longer than the inhale.

4. Spend Time In Nature

Sometimes spending time with your loved ones doesn’t help you to stop overthinking. In times of global issues, it is nearly impossible to avoid discussions. And for people who are already feeling down and stressed, all these talks can be rather draining.

Whenever you feel like there is no one you can be around and free yourself from those stressful conversations, spend time in nature by yourself. Many researches have proven the healing power of nature and how it helps with anxiety and depression. Time spent in nature will give you calmness and joy and remind you that life is still endlessly beautiful.

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5. Engage In Physical Activities

Physical activities are one of the most efficient ways to take your mind off negative things. You can engage in the physical activity of your choice, including running, swimming, riding a bike, etc. You can also play sports with your friends if that is what you prefer.

If nothing sports related speaks to you, engage in household chores. The key is having some kind of physical activity to pump up the endorphins. Also, physical activity is said to improve your sleep. It helps you fall asleep faster and improves the quality of sleep.

If you want to learn more about sleep hygiene take a read through this article where we collected tips and ideas on how to improve your sleep routine and overcome insomnia.

6. Meditate

Learning how to meditate and making it a part of your daily routine is quite difficult even when you have inner peace and balance. And when you are stressed and depressed, doing it may be twice as hard.

But it is always worth trying to learn how to meditate as meditating is vastly beneficial when it comes to relieving stress and anxiety. There are different types of meditation practices you can engage in. In all cases, meditating will help you focus on the present, improve self-awareness and patience.

If you are new to meditating, here you can find easy steps to take to start your meditation journey.

Explore peaceinside.me online retreat that offers a variety of mindfulness and meditation practices that are meant to help you relax, let go and find a source of inner strength and happiness.

Can't seem to meditate? Try this instead!

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7. Do Small Acts Of Kindness

You may not be able to make global changes on your own but you can certainly do acts of kindness that will improve your world and someone else’s. Donate to a charity, smile at a stranger, lend someone a helping hand, plant a tree. There is so much you can do that doesn’t call for a lot of resources. And still, these acts of kindness will take away the feeling of being of no help to the global issues.

Interestingly enough, a 2019 study in The Journal of Social Psychology found that people who performed kindness activities for seven days experienced a boost in happiness. The level of happiness was directly correlated to the number of kindness acts participants performed.

Feeling peaceful and safe when the world is in chaos is not easy, and often we can’t do it alone. We’re all in this together and now is a time to stay connected with the loved ones. A simple phone call to friends, family members, and neighbors to see how they are doing can go a long way. Consider talking to a counselor, therapist, or spiritual advisor if that feels right.

Stay safe and remember this too shall pass.