By: Adanna Anucha, MSW, RSW
The summer season is just around the corner, and with it comes the things we typically enjoy about summer months – sunny weather, restaurants opening their patios, festivals proliferating the streets, afternoons spent on the beach etc. Around this time of year, the collective mood of people suddenly takes a 360-degree turn, and we generally feel uplifted with a surge of positive emotions.
Despite the change of season and the joys that summer brings, a lot of people are finding themselves stuck in disillusionment and hopelessness about tragic events happening in the world and locally, in their cities. Many Toronto residents have described that watching the local news, and hearing about the violence happening on the TTC, or the housing affordability crisis, often leave them feeling a deep sense of despair and generally hopeless about the future.
If you (or a loved one) are finding yourself stuck in this stance of disillusionment about the state of the world and issues like gun violence, climate change etc. it can be hard to shift out of this and convince yourself to be hopeful, and that “everything will be okay.”
How do you then manage and cope with the disillusionment and fear from living in a world where signs of danger are so pervasive?
It might seem so simple, but in some ways it is so vital to connect to things that bring a sense of safety. We are constantly intaking messages about tragedies, and it can be highly dysregulating to continuously hear about the latest mass shooting in the US, or another violent attack that happened on the TTC. It’s important that we then balance out these messages of danger with messages of safety in order to regulate our nervous system. Have a list accessible somewhere of activities that help ground you – whether it’s connecting to nature, or some form of creative expression like painting.
There is also a need to be able to feel the disillusionment from the current state of the world without allowing it to consume you, such that you fall into a state of hopelessness. Disillusionment occurs from feeling disappointed about something, whereas hopelessness is a state of utter despair and lack of hope that things cannot change for the better. When I look at some socio-political movements that have led to systemic changes, such as the “Me Too” movement or “Black Lives Matter” – it took some level of disillusionment to bring those movements to fruition. So in way, disillusionment can involve feelings of despair and can also lead to positive changes. Consider what form of actions that you can channel your disillusionment into – maybe it’s raising awareness to a particular issue, or using it to connect with others that share similar sentiments, or perhaps even finding creative means of expressing your disillusionment. We can use these emotions to move us towards a place of safety and connection.
For a lot of people, particularly those with emotion sensitivities, the warmer weather (and all the joy and pleasantries that come with it) has little effect on their emotional state. Many people describe feeling stuck in misery and hopelessness – a state that can feel particularly isolating amidst all the enjoyment of the summer season.
If you are finding yourself stuck in this unrelenting state of hopelessness and misery, there are a number of factors that contribute to it – (i.e traumatic experiences, life adversities, biological and/or psychological factors etc). Another factor though that needs to be considered is that some people find it difficult to shift out of this hopeless stance because they have been stuck in it for so long that it feels familiar to them. We all resist change in some way and for some, it feels more safe to stay in a state of misery than to open themselves up to the possibility of change.
How then can you shift out of this, and begin to live in alignment with your values? Here are three ways:
1. Be willing to accept that change is possible
2. Seek out connection
3. Tolerating Joy
The summer season is just around the corner, and it tends to bring with it positive emotions in a lot of people – sunny days, and the collective mood of people begin to change with it restaurants begin opening their patios, festivals begin proliferating the streets
This time of the year tends to bring about positive emotions in a lot of people – the warm weather, There are so many tragedies occurring in the world, that have left many feeling a sense of disillusionment or in a state of existential crisis. Many clients I see talk about the state of affairs in our city – the violence occurring on TTC transit, housing in-affordability – how do you feel hopeful about building a life worth living when there is so much despair and tragedies.
Holding hope and despair.
Finding pockets of safety in a world that feels unsafe
Connecting with nature
Finding people that bring comfort and safety
Expressing pain and disillusionment through engaging in social action and creative arts