Dealing With The Stress Of A Divisive World

It’s time to take a closer look at a pervasive feeling that’s been building up under the surface of society. The mood at the moment, from a societal standpoint is tense, to put it lightly. Divisions in beliefs, politics, what we do and do not support, seem to be more keenly felt than ever before. Not only should be concerned about the implications this has for the way our communities and civilization is going, but more importantly, we need to be aware of the seriously stressful effect it has on as individuals.

Are you too exposed?

If you’re feeling that division in society all too strongly, it might be time to look at why. There are two changes in modern technology that have aided this. The first is network news. Simply put, in order to pull in more viewers, they choose the most attention-grabbing headlines and often the most incendiary takes on them because that’s what gets people paying attention. Another critical factor is the rise of internet forums and social media. Simply put, with that much negative attention, often focused on fringe issues, it becomes easy to fall into a catastrophizing mindset that increases our capacity for pessimistic thinking. However, there are ways to reprogram your mind to become more optimistic naturally. Taking some distance away from those potentially harmful media outlets might be a start.

Mobilize instead of complaining

Just like what we consume, what we talk about and think about manifests more of the same kind of energy. Anger leads to more anger, paranoia to more paranoia. There is a not insignificant amount of people who have a genuine, and sometimes well-reasoned, fear that we may be headed for some sort of societal crisis. If that is true, however, then focusing only on the problem can lead to a lot more stress. Focusing on the solutions, such as readying your family for any eventually with sites like Prepared Bee, offers a much more practical outlet for that energy. It can give you some peace of mind and some sense of control, if not resolution.

Remind yourself you’re not alone

Again, connected to the widespread use of social media, it becomes easier and easier to think that we’re building true communities online when, in truth, most of us do not speak or act the way we do on the internet. In most cases, real, sustained interaction with other humans is a lot more understanding, compassionate, and has room for compromise. As Miki Agrawal writes, building a place in your community, whether through volunteering, joining local groups, or otherwise, can help you build that sense of unity that your life might currently be lacking. Yes, we all have disagreements, but the more you reach across the aisle, the more you see that the vast majority of them aren’t as life or death as often portrayed.

There may be no convincing some that the world might not be quite as truly divided as they imagine, but we can at least ensure we’re all behaving and reacting calmly and responsibly. Hopefully, the tips above help you do just that.