How to Cope with World Cruelty (an empath’s guide)
This is a subject very close to the heart. And so here are a few tips to help others, who literally get mental health problems, trying to cope with the overwhelming amount of cruelty in the world at present.
It can be particularly difficult for those of us who are so-called ’empaths’. That does not mean that non-empaths are less kind – just that they are more able to turn off. But for those of us who are incredibly sensitive, just viewing something that others may not notice or even remember (say a truck carrying factory-farmed animals to the abattoirs), can send us into mental health spirals for months or more.
Those of us who adore nature and all its creatures, find it unfathomable that someone could be deliberately cruel to other creatures. And alas in this big bad world, we are finding more and more of this.
- When Trump starts a war, we know that means that all the wonderful organisations helping to save animals and children are going to have a truck-load more work to do, to try to help.
- When a bullying TV show appears, we know that this is going to mean real people in the real world are going to get bullied, due to others being inspiredb by what they saw.
- When Reform UK or the Conservatives (or even Labour) melt down climate laws or decide to build new homes on wildlife sites, we know this is going to mean more suffering for our fellow creatures.
But not many people listen. We are all told we are too sensitive. But let’s say this to you:
You are right! You are the sensitive ones, because you feel the pain and suffering of others, and you want to help. So never let people tell you that you are wrong. If the world had no sensitive people, we’d end up living in a world even worse than it already is.
The problem is how to cope? Nobody can solve the world’s problems alone, it has to be a huge collaborative effort by millions. And that’s the power of community!
So if you are struggling to cope, here are a few tips for good mental health, so that you can protect yourself, but also keep the faith and carry on doing whatever it is to make the world a better place that you do:
Never watch the news. This is the worst thing you can do. You may wake up positive. Then turn on the news, and within five minutes, you may be wondering why bother at all, as it’s all pointless. Don’t let yourself get into this state. Read a nice book or listen to music, or take a relaxing walk. Anything but the news!
In fact, it’s a good idea to subscribe to a happy newspaper, to let you know that there are good people!
Same with newspapers. Just ditch subscriptions and never read them. Just one story can send you into a downward spiral.
Try mindfulness. This can be whatever floats your boat. Christians are going to prefer prayer, others may prefer mindfulness. Or try both! Anything that helps to focus your mind on something peaceful for the day.
Keep a routine. Having a daily routine that’s the same is a bit like why dogs love the same. It keeps you calm. If something bad happens, you can’t change it, but you can change how you react to it. If you’re easily stressed, it’s sometimes good to simply have a simple daily routine, then you can just ‘go through the motions’ if you feel the world’s on fire, and you are powerless to help.
Look after your physical health. Eating well, drinking water and exercise will all help you feel better physically. And if you feel better physically, you normally feel better mentally.
Know why you’re doing it. Sometimes writing this site can be very stressful, as to focus on helping nature and animals, occasionally we come across a site that suddenly brings up a terribly distressing image, that then haunts.
This is a very good reason why charities should focus on positive media. The people that run these charities are doing good (and there are heroes doing undercover work). But sometimes people don’t even visit your sites, if they think they are going to be traumatised for life, just visiting. So focus on the good:
The Donkey Sanctuary is a good example of how to do this. It has undercover officers worldwide doing the work that needs to be done. But its campaigns (and it spends most money on donkeys, not ads) always focus on rescue stories, so it draws people in, then more people donate.
The Humane League also has the same idea. It focuses on doing good, not traumatising people with images of factory farms. We know how awful they are. So spend your money on creating free booklets of simple recipes to avoid such foods, rather than giving meat-eaters a nervous breakdown. And they’ll likely be more likely to switch.
Find your tribe. It’s really important if you’re an empath to find others who understand. If you spend your life around people who just berate you for ‘being too sensitive’, you may start to doubt yourself. And this can then for some people end up with them watering down their own ideals, to please others.
But if you keep adding water to a cup of tea, eventually it will taste of nothing.
Highly sensitive people are often perceived as weak. But to feel intenesly is not a symptom of weakness, it is the trademark of compassion. It is not the empath who is broken, it is society. Never be ashamed to let your tears shine a light in this world. Anthon St Maarten
