Trauma and Healing When the World is On Fire
Violent headlines and the 24-hour news cycle aren’t really new anymore. It seems like we’ve been living in “unprecedented times” for quite a while now and lately the state of things has gotten more disturbing, more urgent, more frantic. Trying to prioritize staying informed, caring for our loved ones, caring for the world, and tending to our own needs and goals can feel overwhelming. Add in trying to heal old wounds, release old attachment patterns, and reset nervous system responses and it might feel absolutely impossible.
It's hard to remember or even conceptualize now, but not all that long ago we didn’t have 24-hour access to news and information. We couldn’t instantly connect with a text message or a meme. We didn’t immediately know about all violence, suffering, and catastrophes. In the history of the universe, the time we humans have had access to all of this instant information and accessibility amounts to less than a nanosecond. And it’s worth remembering that even though this is how our culture operates now, that doesn’t mean this particular evolution is good or that it makes us the smartest or the healthiest. In fact, being inundated with constant emails, text alerts, and breaking news makes us pretty distracted, alone, and anxious. It erodes our own internal wisdom, our connection to our own bodies, our access to intuition, and our connection to community.
So how do we turn off the constant flow of information? How do we find balance and peace amidst chaos and destruction? I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I believe step one is asking the right questions. It’s easy to feel stuck in the mire of our current cultural climate, but see if you can get curious enough to challenge and filter it. Has it always been like this? Do I need to know this right now? Who benefits from me feeling helpless and anxious? Can I give myself permission to pause and step away?
When we give ourselves space to get quiet and still, we are not saying knowledge or action isn’t important. But if we stay on high alert and remain available all the time, we begin to teach our nervous systems it is not safe anytime. And if our nervous system is constantly being tasked with threat detection, it’s difficult to sleep, plan, dream, or connect. All of our energy is tasked with survival. You, your loved ones, and your community don’t benefit from that way of being.
So just for today, I invite you to put the phone down. Turn off the breaking news alerts. Step outside into the cool, crisp winter air and remember how many generations of ancestors came before you. Remember all they witnessed and survived. You are part of a larger universal story that’s so much bigger than we can even fathom. Drink in the vastness of the universe and notice, just for a moment, how your body feels and breathes and moves. Stay there in that moment as long as you can. And then keep returning to places and spaces where nothing is required of you other than your simple attention and awareness of yourself in time and space.
Peace to you on your journey,
Cassie