Whispering Wyrd

I’ve noticed something lately. A lot of people, including family, friends, and honestly, myself too, seem to be carrying a lot of anxiety and sadness right now. Everyone seems to feel just… stretched thin. So I want to ask a simple question, how are you doing, really?

You don’t have to answer publicly if you don’t want to. If you’d rather keep it private, you can always message me, whether that’s through Facebook, Bluesky, or the contact page here on the blog. Sometimes just having someone ask, and mean it, can matter a lot.

Most of us are already carrying so much even during “normal” days. When something extra gets added on top of that, it can tip things from manageable to overwhelming pretty fast. The weather, the news, even something as small as catching a cold can suddenly feel like too much.

For me lately, it’s been a combination of a health worry and what’s been going on in our country. The health issue isn’t catastrophic, it’s just one of those things that gets more noticeable when stress is high. As for the news, I don’t actively follow it. I avoid it as much as I can. But some events are unavoidable, no matter how carefully you manage or curate your attention. And when those sort of events, those headlines break through, they can hit hard.

When things start to feel like that for me, I’ve learned I need a kind of “rescue plan.” Something, or more often, a few small things, that helps calm my nervous system before everything spirals. I had to learn this just to survive benzo withdrawal, and it turns out those same tools are still helping me now.

I have a few daily practices that are non-negotiable for me. Meditation is one of them. I know it sounds cliché, but I’ve learned the hard way that I need it to stay steady. I also go to the gym every day, eat as well as I reasonably can, and spend time in prayer. These aren’t things I do because I’m disciplined or virtuous, I do them because I feel the difference when I don’t.

When stress ramps up, I don’t drop those practices, I lean into them a little more. I’ll meditate longer. I’ll spend more time studying or researching things that interest me, because that kind of focused curiosity is calming for me. And sometimes, honestly, I’ll just play a favorite game. It may sound silly, but it helps. For me, it comes down to keeping my mind from being consumed by worry, staying connected to my spiritual life, and doing what I can to take care of my body.

If you’re feeling stressed too, one gentle suggestion, not like some sort of a “command”, is to see if you can take your focus off whatever’s weighing on you, even briefly. I know that’s easier said than done. But if the stress is coming from current events or constant news consumption, maybe a pause would help. Not forever. Just a break.

I’ve written before about how cutting news out of my life has helped me, but even stepping away temporarily can make a difference too. And if you’re a spiritual person, it might help to shift your attention away from the noise and back toward the practices or beliefs that ground you.

One last thing that’s helped me more than I expected is helping someone else. Nothing grand or dramatic. Something small. Holding a door. Helping someone carry groceries. My family and I have started putting together small care bags, water, rain ponchos, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and handing them out to people who need them. Sometimes we’ll buy food and give that out too.

That’s just one example. You don’t have to do anything like that. The point isn’t the specific act, it’s the way helping others softens the heart. Stress has a way of hardening us if we let it. Small acts of kindness can gently push back against that.

I hope something here has been helpful, even a little. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I hope you can find whatever brings you some steadiness. And if you need to reach out, please do, to someone you trust. If you don’t have anyone like that right now, I’ll help in whatever way I realistically can.

Peace. Because I think we could all use some.

Amituofo
 ~ Buck