These are not normal times, we know this. Global pandemic. The country divided. Civil unrest. Working from home. However, humanity has endured plagues and social upheaval in the past. Our sense of scale, and what we consider “normal,” is often limited to what we’ve gone through in the duration of our lives. But this planet has dealt with worse than us.
Read MoreCoronavirus, political strife, wild swings in the stock market, and climate change (fires in Australia still rage and the west coast of the US will deal with it again soon). Compound all of these issues with a barrage of media hammering us from our smartphones as well as misinformation from the right and left and it’s no wonder that the world is more stressed than ever. Add to this the daily challenges of taking care of family, financial and work stresses, health issues, just getting to and from work, it’s no wonder that the world suffers from anxiety and depression. Therapy and prescription medications can provide some help. Alcohol and drugs only provide temporary relief and exacerbate the underlying issues. Religion and philosophy can provide a framework for handling the great unknowns (why are we here and what happens when we die) but ultimately the amygdala (two almond-shaped clusters deep in the brain) which is responsible for processing emotional responses works far faster than the logical frontal lobes.
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