Fear is okay

With the current economic news, and the Canadian political system in limbo, and the general raft of terrible things happening the world over, I know a lot of people who are getting, if not scared, then at least more nervous about what's going on and, worse yet, what could happen.

But fear (and nervousness, I suppose) aren't necessarily bad things, especially if they lead people to action. But that's the issue with fear - it tends to be paralysing, and prevents rather than drives action.

I can't presume to know what people need or want to do. Heck, I'm just figuring most of this out for myself. When I'm not feeling like I'm fumbling my way along, I tend to feel like I'm navel gaving as I focus on my own life more than I have in awhile. But I know that other people are starting to feel like this and are getting overwhelmed and scared by everything that they feel needs to be done.

The issue with being overwhelmed is that it makes things difficult to start. We try to figure out where to start, what to do and, even more debilitating, how to do it all right now. But none of these things tends to work all that well, and certainly not the last one. So, what do we do to get past this when things are falling apart right now?

Just start.

There's certainly something to be said for planning. I have a binder that I use for planning - thoughts, lists, ideas, and whatever else I think of. But rather than spending time planning and figuring and prioritising, just start something. Even if it's small. Even if you think it won't make a big difference. Just start. Starting breaks the cycle of not doing anything. Starting is empowering. Starting allows you to feel as though you're moving forward, and that's a huge thing when everything seems uncertain. Buy some extra food on your next shopping trip - rice and beans are excellent, as are a lot of canned foods. If you're out and about, pick up a few extra basics - mending supplies, rechargeable batteries, a flashlight, blankets, anything that might be useful. Check out your local thrift store. Head to the library and do some research on raising chickens, learning to knit, or how to preserve food. Go to a local peak oil or post carbon meeting, or make a visit to your local CSA farm or food co-op and meet like-minded people.

If even this is too much for you, start a list. Or, start a few lists. While I think it's better to just do something, planning things out is still a step in the right direction. What do you want for your life? What do you already have going for you? What do you need to feel more secure? How can you get those things?

This seems to be a time when it's easy to be fearful. Fear is scary, but it can also be useful if its used as a motivator. So rather than just sitting there, start something. What's the worst that could happen?