I’m feeling helpless about how shit the world is getting. Not only war and climate change and nazis/fascism rising again. But things like food and housing are becoming so unaffordable, and there is very little that can be done about it by the people it most affects.
There is small scale stuff like pitching in to community food gardens, rewilding, cleaning off swastikas, or volunteering with Food Not Bombs but it seems naive and useless in the face of the sheer scale of cunts continuing to fuck everything up. At a certain point you just cannot pick up the slack.
Also my mental health is tanking and I’m literally not able to do much physically. I guess I just stick my head in the sand to try and care for myself the the best I can?
Not reading ! = denying, it is easy to feel that way but it is definitely possible to take a hard media break for a week at least and not miss out on anything that will immediately and directly affect you.
Because honestly most of the time these days even if you find out about it ASAP, does it actually, concretely help you prepare better? Personally I find it does it the opposite by getting me down due to its relentless nature and the biased opinions that crop up without having time and space to process and see things in perspective. Media is not your friend
Do you watch a lot of reels / consume short media? Like the other commenter said, we aren’t made to process so much information so quickly. Definitely try some apps that help with black out or ween off insta / twitter completely for a bit
Not really actually. It’s more how it’s intruding in concrete ways and preying on my mind.
ie Being affected by the cost of living, especially food. Substandard and unaffordable housing. Antisocial behaviour in my neighbourhood rising. Fretting about actions that aren’t eco friendly - then remembering it’s pointless because renewables are being used as a political football and our plastics aren’t even being recycled. Knowing that as temperatures slowly rise my cheaply built flat will become intolerable.
But seeing stuff reflected in the news (ie. around housing climate and food, like it really is that bad) doesn’t help. The Gaza news is also harrowing.
I used to be a bit of a news junkie but unsubscribed from a whole lot of stuff about a month ago. Now I focus on funny stuff, and I didn’t realise how much I needed it. I get what you’re saying about how futile it feels to do your bit of goodness for the world while multinational companies are busily screwing the planet over with impunity. Still do your little bit, and know that others of us are doing our bit too, and together we count even though it feels small sometimes.
It really does feel useless when the rot is coming from the head. I do have ideas about things that are better than nothing but my body is deteriorating
I don’t know how to help but I can sympathise. I also struggle sometimes knowing the world is full of arseholes. Reducing media might help but for me personally it doesn’t, I know it all still exists. But there are good people too! Lots of them. People trying to make a difference. Diseases are being cured all the time, social progress is being made with thing liken same sex marriage, inclusivity is more visible in media and art, renewable energy sources are growing, etc. I think we can only accept that the world is the way it is, and know that you yourself are a good person doing the best you can.
I’m feeling helpless about how shit the world is getting. Not only war and climate change and nazis/fascism rising again. But things like food and housing are becoming so unaffordable, and there is very little that can be done about it by the people it most affects.
There is small scale stuff like pitching in to community food gardens, rewilding, cleaning off swastikas, or volunteering with Food Not Bombs but it seems naive and useless in the face of the sheer scale of cunts continuing to fuck everything up. At a certain point you just cannot pick up the slack.
Also my mental health is tanking and I’m literally not able to do much physically. I guess I just stick my head in the sand to try and care for myself the the best I can?
I think your last paragraph is the best option when you feel the way you do.
I take breaks from the world for self care when it gets too much and I feel overwhelmed.
We aren’t built to take in so much information so quickly. I little media blackout while you deal with your health is always a good idea.
Unfortunately it’s hard to deny things affecting you directly and causing it. But attempts will be made
Not reading ! = denying, it is easy to feel that way but it is definitely possible to take a hard media break for a week at least and not miss out on anything that will immediately and directly affect you.
Because honestly most of the time these days even if you find out about it ASAP, does it actually, concretely help you prepare better? Personally I find it does it the opposite by getting me down due to its relentless nature and the biased opinions that crop up without having time and space to process and see things in perspective. Media is not your friend
This is wise. I wish there was something I could do but right now there isn’t.
Do you watch a lot of reels / consume short media? Like the other commenter said, we aren’t made to process so much information so quickly. Definitely try some apps that help with black out or ween off insta / twitter completely for a bit
Not really actually. It’s more how it’s intruding in concrete ways and preying on my mind.
ie Being affected by the cost of living, especially food. Substandard and unaffordable housing. Antisocial behaviour in my neighbourhood rising. Fretting about actions that aren’t eco friendly - then remembering it’s pointless because renewables are being used as a political football and our plastics aren’t even being recycled. Knowing that as temperatures slowly rise my cheaply built flat will become intolerable.
But seeing stuff reflected in the news (ie. around housing climate and food, like it really is that bad) doesn’t help. The Gaza news is also harrowing.
It sounds horrible, but yea. Shrink your circle of concerns. No one can take care of everything, that way lies madness.
Also put in some work curating / limiting your SM. It’s designed to keep you panicked doomscrolling.
I’m really going to have to
Tumblr’s some fun batshit if you’re so inclined :)
Maybe just for the memes
backs slowly away from Tumblr ‘discourse’
stick to the smooth sharks and you’re good lol
I used to be a bit of a news junkie but unsubscribed from a whole lot of stuff about a month ago. Now I focus on funny stuff, and I didn’t realise how much I needed it. I get what you’re saying about how futile it feels to do your bit of goodness for the world while multinational companies are busily screwing the planet over with impunity. Still do your little bit, and know that others of us are doing our bit too, and together we count even though it feels small sometimes.
Tumblr is great for this. Absolute batshit, but in a good way.
It really does feel useless when the rot is coming from the head. I do have ideas about things that are better than nothing but my body is deteriorating
Self care. Seems like the best thing anyone can do in these times…
Seems like all you can do
I don’t know how to help but I can sympathise. I also struggle sometimes knowing the world is full of arseholes. Reducing media might help but for me personally it doesn’t, I know it all still exists. But there are good people too! Lots of them. People trying to make a difference. Diseases are being cured all the time, social progress is being made with thing liken same sex marriage, inclusivity is more visible in media and art, renewable energy sources are growing, etc. I think we can only accept that the world is the way it is, and know that you yourself are a good person doing the best you can.
Thanks. I try hard to stay positive. Just the stress of the arseholes (on a personal and a global level) is making me sick.