I  closed out my accounts on social media a few years ago. Having said that, I wasn’t on many of them to begin with. I originally joined one of the most popular ones (I will not name it, but I’m sure you get the idea) to keep up with what was going on with my adult children. Then it seemed that the most innocent statements were deemed “not politically correct” and people were ban for stating their opinions. Somehow, this didn’t seem right to me. I thought as Americans, we have free speech. If I don’t like what someone says, I don’t have to continue to follow them. It seemed simple enough to me. Actually, I discovered that I have more contact with my children since I closed my accounts.

Fast Forward Two Years

Now, we have high inflation, gasoline prices are taking a big chunk out of the household budget, and families are having to decide if they will have enough money to buy groceries. Therefore, people are stressed and worried about if they will have a roof over their heads and food to eat.

We are told that we’re in the “end times” and there is a depression looming over the world economies. I know you think that this article is going to be a political statement. It’s not. But, I am focusing on the effects stress and fear play in our day to day lives.

We just came out of being in a “lock down” for over a year. People say, “I just want things to go back to the way it was before.” Do you? Do you really want to go back to the “fast paced lifestyle” you lived?

People argue about so may issues in the news media these days. Tension and fear are at a high level. The rate of suicides, use of illicit drugs and prescription drugs for depression are increased. Alcohol abuse is on the rise.

When I worked for the Veterans Administration, many of the veterans would come in to the mental health outpatient unit complaining about stress. I would ask them if they watched to news at night. The answer was always yes. I told them to stop watching the news at night. On their next visit, they reported that their anxiety decreased substantially. Sometimes I can be a “brat”, I would respond with, “DUH!” I have not watched mainstream news media in over 30 years. Yes, I do know what’s going on in the world.

How To Handle Stress

In my book, Guilty Prayers I have chapters talking about stress, anxiety and depression. I will not go into detail in this article on what happens when these symptoms go unchecked. Needless, to say your mental health and physical health will decline.

What I do want to focus on is what happened during the lockdown.

1. People realized that there’s more to life than working all the time. They discovered that they could make ends meet on one job instead of two.
2. Families sat down to enjoy having a meal together. The kids learned what it’s like to have mom and dad’s attention and to really talk durning the meal.
3. Families values begin to change. Quality time was more important than going to all the activities that cut into family time.
4. In my neighborhood, neighbors sat outside and visited. We got to know each other. We even had a block party! The grill is dragged out and we cooked our meal. There was laughing and music playing.
5. We discovered what it is like to live a simpler life.

Now, once again we are bombarded with fear reporting of “gloom and doom”. Yes, times are stressful. But, do you really want to live in fear of “what if” or “what could happen”? No, I don’t recommend you bury your head in the sand. I do recommend that you turn off the news and be proactive.

Get Your House In Order

Practice the lifestyle that our grandparents did.

1. Live below your means. In other words, don’t spend your whole paycheck as soon as you get it. Put a little back.
2. Cut out the things that are not necessary. Don’t buy the “junk” food. Instead, buy the fresh fruits and vegetables. Better yet, read my article on the Victory Gardens.
3. Grow your own food as much as possible. I find myself doing just that. I just moved back to my home town after traveling for the last seven months for Tesla BioHealing. The house I decided to rent has a garden that was started by the landlady.
4. I cut my expenses. I downsized and decided I didn’t want to buy another house. I stocked my pantry with a few extra items.
5. Plan your errands and do all the errands that are located close together. Plan your route in advanced. You will find it saves you time and gasoline.

In Summary

Yes, times are hard. Maybe changing your perspective will help. I choose not to focus on the things that can’t be change. Therefore, I think outside of the box. First, I stay aware of what’s going on without getting caught up in the fear. If you need help to see life from a different point of view, seek help from a professional. In other words, find a counselor or life coach. Surround yourself with a support group.

Buy my book, Guilty Prayers. It goes into detail about real life stories and what happened when individuals let their emotions control them. It gives practical suggestions on how to over come run away emotions. It’s on Amazon or with any book retail store.

Commune with your God or Higher Source. Prayer and meditation are helpful. Each religion teaches how to do this.