a balm for your heart if you’re anxious about the world

Written by Meg Kant

a balm for your heart if you’re anxious about the world

If you are anything like me you probably have periods of time when you feel pretty stressed about the state of the world right now. I’m normally pulled between work, family, friends and causes I feel strongly about, like reproductive rights and gender equality.

I also want to help our planet, support people living with addictions, support people experiencing houselessness, help with the war in Ukraine and these are just to name a few. 

In fact,  there are so many causes and charitable organizations that need support it makes my heart ache. I want to help everyone and it can feel so overwhelming that it can be paralyzing. I used to (and sometimes still do) spend a lot of time silently beating myself up because I don’t “do enough” which causes me a great amount of stress.

following the cause you are most passionate about

However, a couple of years ago I came across an article that helped me deal with my anxiety related to “not doing enough about the world.”(I have scoured the internet to try and find the original location of the article but couldn’t find it, so if you happen to know where it is, please share it with me.)

The premise of the idea is that individuals will not make any changes if we are all giving 10% to ten different causes. Instead, choose the cause that fires you up the most, the one you are most passionate about and give that particular cause 100%. 

trust that others are giving their 100%

It doesn’t mean people shouldn’t care about other causes, or that they won’t take time and energy to work towards supporting them.  It just means that everyone can do their best, and trust that there are individuals who are giving 100% to their own passionate cause while others are doing the same.

For example, I take as many actions as I possibly can to help with climate change, but I trust that there are people in the world who are giving climate change 100% of their dedication because it is their primary passion. I myself am giving 100% to gender equality and reproductive rights which is where I will make the biggest impact because it is what makes me the most passionate.

giving 100% doesn’t have to look like we think it does

When I say “giving 100%” I don’t just mean through my work in reproductive rights, or activism about gender equality. I also include the meaningful ways I am supporting these causes in my day to day life. Examples include:

• the conversations I have with my family and friends;
• the intentional way I am raising my children;
• breaking cycles of behaviour that are not supportive of mental health and wellness;
• setting boundaries and being honest about my needs.

more than one way to show up

Identifying and understanding that there are many ways to show up and support things you feel passionately about can lift so much weight off people’s shoulders. I love this quote from Sheryl Paul in her article Remedies for Eco-Anxiety and Absorbing the Pain of the World.

“We act and give and help as much as we can while recognizing that we all have limits and we can’t save the entire world. We start with ourselves so that we can give from a place of fullness and love instead of emptiness and fear.”

That is such a balm for my anxious and heavy heart. 

I don’t have any definitive answers

To be clear, I am not an expert on all of the areas that are in need of support or what is the right or the wrong way to go about it. I am just someone who feels deeply and cares a lot about our planet and the people who inhabit it.

But I am also a mom, wife, friend, daughter and sister, with a full time job and responsibilities so I know that the constant hum of not feeling like I’m doing enough is not serving me.

doing your best is enough

So if you’re like me and if you’ve been holding the weight of the world while still feeling like you’re not doing enough, I have a question for you. What if you actually let yourself believe that you are doing enough? What if, despite those feelings, you give yourself some grace, relax your shoulders, take a deep breath and grant yourself permission to rest without guilt? 

Everyone needs their own cups to be full in order to have “enough” to help others.  The shame of not doing enough is draining and it doesn’t help anyone. 

Doing your best in today’s world and accepting that you are doing enough are necessary & powerful accomplishments. Both are needed to heal human hearts and to help the world’s most passionate causes to be supported.

Do you feel anxious about the world? Do you feel like you aren’t doing “enough”? Feel free to share in the comments.

a balm for your heart if you’re anxious about the world

Click here to sign up to have the Hot + Brave blog land in your inbox every week!

Xoxo,