Aug 23, 2021
At the beginning of Tom Clancy's book The Sum of All Fears, there is a quote by Winston Churchill "Why, you may take the most gallant sailor, the most intrepid airman or the most audacious soldier, put them at a table together - what do you get? The sum of their fears."
What does that mean? Well as far as I can tell, together as individuals we all bring a worry, a fear to the table and whether there is one or two or more, at the end of the day we are all in this together and my fears become yours and vice versa.
This past year has shown us that there are many things to fear, many worries for each and every one of us and at times it can be overwhelming. It can feel like you are surrounded by darkness and you feel down, sad, stressed, unable to sleep or cope. The mental health overall is worsening at staggering rates, almost 10% of the youth has severe major depression. Suicidal ideation amongst adults is increasing as well. The number of people looking for help with anxiety and depression has skyrocketed and many of their needs are not adequately met.
How do you cope in the world of uncertainty and many questions? Self care is essential. Healthy diet, exercise, hydration, vitamins, sleep are all needed for the body's physiological and mental health to be optimized. Surrounding yourself with your tribe, whether that is your family, friends, neighbors, movie buddies is also important. Communicating and asking for help is crucial.
Asking for help is one of the most important things anyone can do when they feel overwhelmed. No, it does not make you weak. If anything it makes you courageous and it will make you stronger because we humans need those pesky connections and touch. We need each other to thrive.
So, if you feel like the world is closing in on you, find a resource, call your physician, phone a friend, pray if you believe and if you don't pray and see what happens (it can't hurt, right?). You are not alone. You are never ever alone. Your fear is my fear, my fear is yours, and together we can beat that monster.
KL