There can be no doubt that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought us into extra-turbulent times. Despite it having no direct impact on me, my family, or my job, I have found myself “doomscrolling” on Twitter and Facebook already a few times today, eagerly seeking for more news: something somehow definitive. And yet, in the early fog of war, everything is unclear. And so the scrolling continues.
And then my practice as a Buddhist and meditation teacher kicks in. Just. Let. Go. I realize that there is nothing I can do right now. Perhaps I could re-tweet this or that or share information that others can get from a dozen different places. Or perhaps I could relax and focus on what is in front of me. This life here, in calm and quiet Missoula, Montana, is enough to keep me busy right now.
Perhaps you are finding yourself doomscrolling a bit too. Here are some of the steps I’ve taken to stay calm and grounded as it seems that the world is going crazy. I can take respite in knowing this isn’t the first time that the world has gone crazy. And it won’t be the last.
Breathe
Stop what you’re doing and just breathe. We cannot make good decisions in a state of panic. We will just end up like a hamster chasing the top of the wheel, unable to ever reach it.
Taking a few deep breaths, we automatically calm our mind and body. We can re-acquaint ourselves with our surroundings. We can take a moment to be grateful for this air. It’s amazing to have clean air. It’s amazing to live in a peaceful city. Breathing in, we can appreciate all that we have. Breathing out, we can let go of feelings of anxiety or confusion.
Get grounded
If you’re like me, you have some things to do. Even if it’s just the laundry or the dishes, do it. If it’s your job or picking up your child from school, definitely do it. Getting down to work tells our anxious mind that it can calm down. We’re doing things. We’re making progress.
The anxiety might not go away, but it moves to the proverbial back burner. What is on the front burner is a task that you are completing. It can be something mental like checking emails or writing, but keep in mind how close these are to the doomscrolling tabs on your computer. Also keep in mind how fast the mind can jump to the doomscrolling or other anxious behavior.
Better than a mental task is something physical. Doing something with the whole body, even if it’s going out for a walk or putting on music and dancing, puts anxiety way, way, way back on the back burner. It’ll be much harder for it to take over if you’re moving your whole body.
Take care of ourselves
Going for a walk or dancing is also a great way to boost our health. In general, Americans move way too little. We’re sedentary and that weighs down our bodies and slows our minds. While we’re walking or dancing, we can think of other great things we can do for ourselves.
Let’s think about an amazing, healthy dinner! Or really cleaning that kitchen. On really good walks I think of one of my favorite pastimes: photography. It can be so joyful to take in the world around us as a photographer, seeking out the beauty, the novelty, the subtle and profound.
Care for those around us
In addition to taking care of ourselves, what can we do for those around us? What old friend used to be a go-to in times of anxiety or joy but we haven’t spoken to them in months or years? What about a family member? Who are some people we can reach out to, just to chat, to let them know we’re a bit anxious, and to check in on?
For those near and dear to us, we can recognize how much better we can be for them if we ourselves are calm. Like them, we don’t have answers. We don’t need answers. But we need to be able to be present for them.
In my case that includes having a toddler. She cannot understand what is happening in Ukraine or anywhere else in the world. But she’ll know if my wife and I are anxious and inattentive. And that will have a negative effect on her. So being calm, being present is itself a gift we can give to those around us.
Practice loving-kindness for the world
A final practice we can take up is loving-kindness, or universal well-wishing, for everyone in the world. With this practice, we begin by wishing ourselves wellness and happiness. Then, once we have established a bit of that for ourselves, we move on to a good friend or close companion.
Third, we invite in a neutral person. Perhaps we can use this to reach out mentally to a person we have seen on the news and who has impacted us. We can wish that person wellness and happiness as well.
Fourth, we invite in a difficult person. As always, it might not be wise to invite in the most difficult person for you right now. But someone who is perhaps causing you strife or is opposed to your goals or what you would like to see happen in the world. Invite in that person and recognize that they too seek happiness. They too suffer and can be confused and mislead. They too deserve ultimately to be well.
And finally, we can extend out our well-wishing to include all beings, near and far.
Whether or not we believe these wishes have any real effect out there in the world, we can agree that they affect us. With practice, our heart grows calm and warm and open. And with practice, we can remain this way even in periods of great chaos.
Justin Whitaker, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in Buddhist ethics from the University of London. He has given lectures, and taught Buddhist studies and Philosophy at Oxford University, the University of Hong Kong, the University of Montana, and at Antioch University’s intensive study-abroad program in India. A certified meditation teacher, he is a regular contributor to Patheos.com, and Senior Correspondent for Buddhistdoor Global. He lives in Missoula with his family.