We are not supposed to pretend this level of chaos is normal. 

We absolutely are in the midst of a massive societal shift and it’s actually healthy to respond to that with distress as it’s legitimately distressing. 

So how can therapy help when it feels like the world is on fire?

It is no surprise that we are navigating turbulent times, but how can we take care of ourselves and others when we feel out of control?

Change in our personal lives and in our society leaves us feeling exposed and vulnerable, re-evaluating patterns and beliefs that perhaps we’ve outgrown. It forces us to shed what no longer serves us so we can build something better for ourselves even when it’s painful.

Radical Rest Practice and Cognitive Shuffling

Taking care of the quality of our rest in the face of the daunting world is essential to quality of life and any movement work. For many, rest is deemed a non-option in the face of capitalism when the natural need for rest is problematized or considered shameful. Given how reasonably anxiety-inducing the systems we navigate are, it is easy to see why many people struggle with accessing quality of sleep or viewing it as their human right.

Imagine being trapped in a loop, your mind replaying disturbing scenarios or demanding endless rituals for things to feel just right. This is the lived experience for many with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Folks with ADHD or Autism have a higher probability of also experiencing OCD symptoms or having a co-occuring diagnosis of OCD.

While the struggle is immense, there's a powerful, often overlooked, tool in OCD recovery: compassion. This tool definitely falls into the camp of things that are easier said than done.