Existential dread and fear. How do you manage it?

Yianna_F · 2020-03-26T23:13:28+00:00

Your fears and concerns are valid! Generally speaking and especially during the pandemic! You are not alone in these feelings and experiences and they are not irrational! Everything and everyone is in limbo! :-)

It's important to focus on your physical and mental health care and wellbeing during these difficult times! Self-care is therefore of the utmost importance! Mindfulness, CBT, ACT and DBT all work quite well in such cases! You need to consciously work on your mental health and stress management!

It's important to understand what you can control vs what you can't! For example, you can't control the global pandemic but you can control your response to it! :-)

I'll copy and paste some resources from a recent post I made on getting through this crisis:

https://www.reddit.com/r/FemaleDatingStrategy/comments/fnwa7q/resources_how_to_go_about_surviving_the/

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 RESOURCES

https://www.theconversation.com/amp/7-science-based-strategies-to-cope-with-coronavirus-anxiety-133207

Meditation

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/feeling-it/201309/20-scientific-reasons-start-meditating-today

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320392#types-of-meditation

https://youtu.be/ZiQcKFgx440 Celtic

https://youtu.be/V6R8uiaMtb0 Piano, flute etc sounds

https://youtu.be/1ZYbU82GVz4 Relaxation

https://youtu.be/UONvpzG7yjo Sleeping relaxation music

https://youtu.be/inpok4MKVLM 5 min meditation

https://youtu.be/8sYK7lm3UKg OM Chanting

https://youtu.be/u-a4iOERMRs Miriam Gates, Good Morning Yoga 5 min Reading from her Book, For Children

https://youtu.be/m_E0AK2nkAY Miriam Gates, The Yoga Flow 5 min video of Yoga for Children

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Mindfulness

Mindful Showering

https://www.mindfueldaily.com/livewell/mindfulness-in-the-shower/

Mindful Eating

https://www.mindful.org/6-ways-practice-mindful-eating/

Mindful Walking

https://www.headspace.com/blog/2014/11/19/walk-into-a-mindful-moment/

Mindful Writing & Meditative Journaling

https://www.developgoodhabits.com/mindful_writing/

Mindful Colouring

https://www.amp/s/blog.smilingmind.com.au/what-is-mindful-colouring%3fhs_amp=true

Mindful Crafting

https://breathemagazine.com.au/articles/2018/01/08/five-steps-to-mindful-crafting/

Mindful Cooking

https://www.headspace.com/mindfulness/mindful-cooking

Mindful Baking

https://www.calmmoment.com/mindfulness/how-mindful-baking-can-improve-your-mood-and-reduce-stress/amp/

Mindful Reading

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/well/mind/how-to-be-mindful-while-reading.amp.html

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Grounding Techniques

http://www.tothegrowlery.com/blog/2017/4/18/six-different-types-of-grounding-exercises-for-anxiety-intense-emotions

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Edit: to add the resources

naamshiko · 2020-03-26T23:09:04+00:00

It’s okay. The world has known many pandemics, some way worse than the one we are currently going through. There were two world wars in the last century and a Cold War during which we thought countries were going to annihilate each other with the atomic bomb. Many economical recessions and natural disaster. Humans rebuild. I’m not belittling the suffering people are or will go through, or the impact it will have on many lives, economically or health-wise. But the world is definitely not going to end tomorrow and humans will just move on as they always have.

I study ancient history and I think reading about history helps giving you a little perspective on how the world has ended so many times and yet people have always kept moving. It’s also human nature to forget disasters in order to preserve themselves.

rinabean · 2020-03-26T22:56:11+00:00

I get this a lot and always have. I don't know about a way to make it go away.

I deal with it by remembering that there are things I can't control and things I can and focussing on the latter. Easier said than done. Also, don't read the news, or at least set a (short!) timer and stick to it. Basically everything on the news is stuff that's outside of your control.

I hope some other women here have better advice for both of us, but this at least is enough to stop me going fully nuts.

blackopium777 · 2020-03-26T23:16:39+00:00

It's totally normal to feel this way. I used to be scared shitless about what could happen since literally nobody is safe from bad, horrible things. At one point the fear was so strong that I didnt live my life normally anymore. The thing is... if you have to die, you will die. One way or another. If you stay at home, paralyzed by fear, you still will die when your time comes, just without making at least SOMETHING. Dont let it make you crazy. We all die one day and until then you should try to take some more time to do something you like. The situation right now isnt good, obviously, but you can always take the safe road and do everything that is recommended to be at least less endangered. Thats something.

ghygdryhchmmmmjj · 2020-03-27T03:13:16+00:00

Looking up other huge historical pandemics and problems, fires, earthquakes. If that's what works for you. The world just keeps chugging along. This won't be the worst or the last "anything". I already had a little break down a week ago. I cried and felt helpless. now I'm at the "meh I'll adapt" part. Its rough. Its normal to have the dread, the future is unknown. But everything will be ok as it always is. I didn't say it will be great, but we will carry on. We have all through out history :) researching the Spanish flu helped me. Humans have always come out the other side of things like this

kikivegan · 2020-03-26T23:17:38+00:00

I have struggled with anxiety for years, and this pandemic talk has triggered it big time. There is definitely that dread and fear of all being lost .. for me, it's mostly fear for my baby boy. I'll tell you what I tell myself: 'living' isn't in the big milestones (like getting that job, or graduating college, or getting married, or traveling to Italy, etc.). It's in the little things. Enjoy & appreciate your morning cup of coffee, your hot shower, your pets, a snuggly blanket, your favorite music -- a little extra during this time. Acknowledge the fear and the dread and the anxiety, listen to your brain as it works out the situation. But then sit in the sun and listen to the birds. It will be ok. Experience these moments and don't dwell on the ones to come.

Title	Existential dread and fear. How do you manage it?
Author	babysteps65
Upvotes	71
Comments	12
Date	March 26, 2020 10:15 PM UTC (6 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/FemaleDatingStrategy
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/FemaleDatingStrategy/comments/fpkxaj/existential_dread_and_fear_how_do_you_manage_it/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/FemaleDatingStrategy/existential-dread-and-fear-how-do-you-manage-it.679523 https://theredarchive.com/post/679523

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