By Bonnie Hutchinson

Five bad news antidotes

“I stopped watching the news,” a friend said, “because it was so scary and depressing. But I like to be informed. I like to know what’s going on in the world. Lately I’ve been watching documentaries. I thought they would be more objective and not upset me so much. But after a weekend of watching documentaries about how we’re running out of water and horrible things happening all around the world, I’m left thinking the world is a terrible place.”

This friend is one of the sunniest people I know–usually.

There’s a lot of it going around. Fear, anger and pessimism are in the air. Seems like the more we find out, the more we wish we hadn’t found out.
We can’t instantly change what’s happening in the world. But we can do something about how we feel. When we feel better, we just might have the energy and insight to change things that could use changing.

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Here are five short-term antidotes to state-of-the-world angst. What are some of your antidotes?

Spend time with real people. Hanging out in the virtual world makes us lose touch with real people and real things. Spend time with people you enjoy–people you care about who care about you and who are mostly encouraging, kind and optimistic. That will help you remember all the reasons it’s good to be alive right now–and a privilege.

Thank somebody for something. It’s impossible to feel gratitude and feel depressed at the same time. Notice something you genuinely appreciate about someone and tell them. Write a note; e-mail or text; tell them in person. You’ll both feel uplifted.

Tap into compassion. When you’re exposed to a bad news story, try to find a feeling of compassion for those affected. Moving into a feeling of compassion changes your mood and energy for the better. You may not be able to change what’s happening, but compassion can uplift your thoughts and emotions. That empowers you.

Find something to laugh about. A while ago I was in a serious meeting about serious problems for which there are no quick fixes. One person told a hilarious incident from the day before. By the time the guffaws and belly laughs died down, we were all more cheerful. The serious problems seemed much less formidable.

Do something. Take small actions that move toward something you believe in, something that makes you happy. Even something as simple as stretching for a minute or shaking out your arms and legs can shake up downer energy and lift your spirits. So can cleaning out a small pile of clutter, or donating to a favourite cause, or doing a kind act. Action is an antidote to paralyzing fear and depression.

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These are quick fixes to get us through dark moments. At some point (preferably now) we as a species need to address some challenges that will take more than quick fixes. The world needs all of our wisdom, commitment, integrity and willingness to work with others, some of whom we may not know, like or trust.

But if, moment to moment, we can use quick fixes to restore and replenish our hope, our generosity and our clear thinking, we improve the odds of resolving thorny problems. If nothing else, many more moments of feeling better are a good enough reason for practically anything!

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