Tag: coping with scary news

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5 Quotes From Anne Frank

Anne Frank (1929-1945) wrote a diary while hiding from the Nazis. I am amazed by how she managed to stay positive in the midst of the Holocaust. I want to be able to stay hopeful no matter what I see in the news and in my personal life like she was.

“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is! “

I have always believed that everyone has goodness in them. While I know that we also have an evil side (sinful side), I believe that God created us in His image.

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

This mystifies me. I have always dreamed of improving this world.

“Don’t think of all the misery, but of all the beauty that still remains. In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

While I believe that most people are kind and honest in most situations, I doubt I could believe that if I had experienced what she did.

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature, and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.”

“I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too. I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.”

While Ann Frank didn’t live to see the end of the war, we know that it did end. She had hope in the future.

These quotes are reminding me to hold onto hope in the midst of this strange world. My sister has commented that she feels like we are in a parallel universe while I feel like I am trapped in the Twilight Zone. Pandemic. War in Ukraine. Supply chain problems. Inflation. Overturning of Roe v. Wade. A huge divide here in the US. Mass shootings. My city’s (Waukesha) Christmas parade tragedy. Highland Park parade shooting. Uvalde school shooting.

I found the quotes in Women Know Everything by Karen Weekes.

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How to cope with scary news

War! Maybe it will be world war three. Pandemic! The news is full of scary stuff. Here is some ideas on how to cope.

Limit news viewing The first time that I had to find a way to cope with scary news was 9/11/2001. I was glued to the news. I finally had to go for a walk just to disconnect from the constant news watching. While I wanted to know what was happening, I discovered that I needed to take breaks.

Look for the helpers or heros ‘When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me,”Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”‘ Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) I have found that focusing on the helpers and heros helps me to feel hopeful. Yesterday, I wrote an article about some of the heros in the Russia Ukraine war. I have also found some stories about people helping. The Rachel Maddow show shared the story of a German offering rides at the border. Uber is offering free rides at the Poland border. People are renting Airbnbs in Ukraine as a way to send money to people dealing with the war.

Find a way to help if possible The previous paragraph mentioned some ways that people have found to help. There are plenty of other ways. Here is a list of charities helping Ukraine. I haven’t found a way for me at this time. I am saving money in prep for my upcoming lay off in May. So, I am limiting my giving to my church. Yet, I think finding a way to help can help with the feelings of helplessness.

Help others to cope This is what I am hoping to do through this post. This can be as simple as allowing someone to talk about their feelings about all of the scary stuff in the news. My dad and I talked for a while about this. It could be encouraging someone at work.

Sense of humor It may seem like laughing at scary news is mean. But, listening to coronavirus parody songs helped me to get through ten days of self isolating due to having Covid-19. I started playing a game of dancing to the songs and seeing how long I could last before I had to stop to cough. It was a fun way to see that the cough was weakening. It also can remind you and me that we are all experiencing similar feelings.

We are all in this together. We may only be watching but we are still feeling strong emotions in response to it.