Do yourself a favor and disconnect from news feeds, notifications and social media for 2 weeks and see how you feel.
Edit: also take a break from Lemmy. I swear I think the doomsaying here is worse than Reddit.
Damn. I thought it was me, but scrolling through Everything & Top Day is just filled with rage bait and doom news. I rarely find something uplifting. And I usually find myself more anxious after reading through them.
I really want Lemmy to thrive, that's why I am here, but I used to be able to filter all that shit in reddit and still have a bunch of funny dumb simple happy posts. If I do that here I get no posts back..
If you ever find a good solution for filtering out those posts, please update us.
I tend to only view my subscribed community feed, but it would be nice to look at “All” to find new communities.
Yep. To expand on this if people still want to use social media, here’s what helped me. The constant doom scrolling is unhealthy and unhelpful.
Block or mute news/doomsday communities/people on social media. Link aggregators and algorithm-driven social media just sucks for news across the board. Use Lemmy (or Reddit, etc) for memes, interesting discussions, cool pictures, whatever, but not news.
Collect a list of news sources you trust and add them to an RSS reader. Ideally in a separate folder from other feeds so you can easily filter them out when you aren’t interested in world news. You only get one “post” per article, rather than seeing the same “everything sucks now” article reposted to 20 different communities, and it’s buried in good ol’ boring news. Everything is less exciting in this format, it’s great.
Don't worry about WW3. The more inevitable thing that will destroy us is climate change.
But seriously, why worry about stuff you can't change? If they launch the nukes, then you'll be dead and so it won't matter if you worried about it or not. So you might as well just not worry.
Activism would help very little, but at least it isn't fatalism.
I don't think parent poster meant to espouse nihilism. Rather just acceptance. You can still find meaning in living day to day if worrying about the future becomes debilitating.
I've been here before and I literally solved it by forest walking
We're all fucked regardless so learn mindfulness and enjoy every fleeting moment
I agree whole heartedly. We spend too much time in our own heads. And most humans today have never experienced the wild. I mean the true wild, where you most certainly will die by the environment or animal if you're not careful. You don't need to go that far outside our fence to gain the benefits of connection but it's an experience that is both humbling and healing.
I think the weed might be more of the problem than the clock
Yeah cant believe I had to scroll this far down.
Weed is like putting a sticker over the check engine light. It hides the issue/anxiety temporarily but by doing that consistently without dealing with the underlying issues the problem only gets worse.
Something I do every work day is go to a patch of grass, put on calming music and just stare at the sky and clouds. Let your mind wander, it may bring up bad thoughts and feelings but its better to understand how your mind works. Dont look at your phone either, just disconnect and watch the world go by.
I often think about early humans and their lives. Previously our ancestors had time to reflect and process thoughts, feelings and emotions. That is lost in our technological world and our obsession with consumption and distraction.
These exposures and patterns are relatively new to the human mind. Develop behaviours that allow you to cope with the external stimulus
You live in the most peaceful time in our species history (ignoring some flareups lately). The vast, vast majority of humanity lives in peace. Turn of the news and go touch some grass my dude.
It's true, but that makes it even more unsettling. Every petty crime gets blown up by media, every time something happens people start screaming that we need camera's and more cops on the streets. I used to work in the bar scene in our city twenty years ago. There were bar fights on a regular base. Now one bar fight in a year makes the national news.
Nope.
I think people who worry about things outside their control might be missing out on things that really matter most in their lives.
I grew up during the Cold War era. It was pretty tense and, at least from my personal perspective, it seemed much worse then than it does today. The days after 9/11 were even worse. It really all depends on your geographic location though (I'm between NY and DC). If you're in Gaza right now, yeah, you should be worried. If you're in Oklahoma, go play in the mud and enjoy your life.
Things will get worse. They always have. Humanity deals with it. It's not a good formula but it's what we've got. I'd be much more worried about the population of the planet exceeding its natural resources and the continued loss of jobs to automation and slave labor (the unrelenting promotion of consumerism) than I would WWIII.
Not to dismiss the legitimate atrocities that are taking place across the world but I think your issue might be too much media consumption. The media is getting worse faster than the world is. Everything is rage bait to garner viewership and ad revenue and attention and profits for stock holders. Limit your media consumption to your passions and hobbies and to neutral journalism like AP and PBS. I mean, I can't tell you how many articles I read from formerly-legit news outlets that have little to do with a click bait headline now. It's so frustrating that even the news has a bias now - even when it's biased towards my preference.
With all the energy you're putting towards worrying about the entire planet, I'm sure your immediate community would benefit from a fraction of that concern.
Edit: Invest some time is setting up an RSS reader. Use it as a filter for the news you want and trust. Fill it with things you’re interested in, blogs, local news, world news, neutral news outlets, newsletters, etc. I’m in the Apple system and have been using Big News for about a year. I like that it gives you an email address to subscribe to newsletters so they don’t fill up your inbox.
No more than ever before.
All I’ve been thinking about is WW3 and this shit makes me want to vomit.
We lived through WW2, most of us anyhow. Some times are harder than others, but let me tell you something. One of favorite cartoons of all time has a fairly flat character, who's catch phrase is, "We're all gonna die." It's her custom version of yolo before yolo was a thing. No matter the choices, precautions or risks, we all have to die eventually. It'll happen regardless of how much we stress about it. Or how little.
I can’t even smoke weed anymore without having a near panic attack.
Ah, that makes sense. Pot tends to heighten anxiety over time. Talk to any of the old guard, and ask if the ever struggle with anxiety since stopping, or when they are clear.
the Doomsday clock is
Is someone else's crystal ball. It doesn't hold any power over your future.
just stop for one day and enjoy one day of peace?
Turn your phone off for 24 hours, take a stroll outside when it's daylight, and forget about anything but real life for a day. Step away from the news. Don't talk to people about politics. Get some distance while focusing solely on the moments that come your way. That will be your day of peace, and whenever you need another, you know what to do.
Stop watching the news and get off of social media. They are literally designed to make you anxious so you’ll keep paying attention to them. Go find some local clubs and meetups to go to.
Log out. Find something you can do in physical space. I found that organizing with some people doing mutual aid really helped me feel better. Just refocusing away from things you can't really do anything about, and towards things you can. In my case, it was helping feed and clothe vulnerable neighbors.
You think that you are already dead? Well that just gives you the freedom to do everything you are scared of.
There is no consequence anymore so do whatever you want. Just don't make life worse for people that haven't wronged you. That would just be bad manners.
Often a change of perspective is all you need to see that a piece of shit can be the groundwork for a beautiful flower.
You need to check out from the news, if reading what is happening in the world has that big of an impact on your mental health then you’re better off staying ignorant.
As long as I have been a live there has been multiple threats to the world, this is nothing new. The world is always on the brink of destruction, worry about what you can control in your life, not what is happening on the other side of the world that you can’t control.
I personally don’t thing we’re all fucked. I just take in life day by day and appreciate what I have. Let’s make today a day of peace. I’m probably gonna go for a walk and try to do something nice for someone.
I went to therapy for almost this exact reason. I will tell you what my therapist told me. Just because these terrible things are happening, doesn't mean you can't have meaning and joy in your life. It can be hard to feel grateful, it can be hard to feel happy, during such times, but it's possible. I would suggest reaching out to a professional if you can afford it.
If we are all fucked, whatever, then why bother worrying? - you can’t change anything and it makes you feel worse. Enjoy what you’ve got left.
Stop smoking weed, maybe it'll help.
I grew up during the Cold War, I had zero expectation that I'd live to adulthood, and I'm still unconvinced the world after 2000 exists. The way to cope is nihilism and/or activism.
Nuclear war, global warming makes the Earth uninhabitable, new plagues wipe out everyone, AI poisons us or creates nanotech grey goo, fascists take over and gas everyone who isn't them, a dinosaur-killer meteor hits the Earth again, eventually the Sun expands and fries the planet. You personally are going to die, probably long before any of those.
So you can either say "fuck it" and do your usual stuff anyway, or get involved in trying to stop or delay one of the disasters. Have fun with it.
Or as Morty says: "Everybody's going to die. Come watch TV."
All I know is Stardew Valley has a big update today, and there's few better places to hang out when you're feeling stressed.
The old world is dying. The new world is struggling to be born. Now is the time of monsters.
I've noticed over the last few decades that every time I start worrying about WW3, climate change, solar flares, super volcanos, giant meteors etc. that there's something going on in my personal life that's causing me stress. Something I feel like I have no control over.
I guess my brain doesn't want to admit/deal with my own issues, so I focus on something else, something that feels just as overwhelming.
Working on taming the anxiety itself is quite useful, especially if you can't help the situation you're currently in.
The things that have helped me the most are: meditating (chakra and mindfulness) which has been great at helping me calm down; finding activities that feel meaningful to me; spending time with the people I care about (making the time); and finding beauty and/or amusement in everyday life.
All of these things take practice and time, which might seem useless if you think that the world will end tomorrow. But even if all you can do is one meaningful/fulfilling thing today, then it will improve your day and help make your last day on earth a little better.
Of course chances are good you'll wake up tomorrow, and the next day etc., which means you have even more time to live an even happier life.
Good luck my dude.
In the words of my mother, who:
"All you have is your health, and these tender moments. Everything else is just extra."
Doomsday clock is mostly bullshit.the news only shows the worst of the world with the most sour spin.
The world will go on and for your own mental health you should take a break from the noise of world news and focus on finding enjoyment in your day to day life.
This sounds like you are depressed. My suggestion, stop consuming the type of information that is affecting your mental health. This is out of your control so stressing about it will only hurt you. You cannot control what is out of your control. Second, see a therapist and meditate. The world will go on for better or for worse.
The doomsday clock is very misleading. People assume that, because it is managed by scientists and is widely credited by different agencies, that it is quantifiably measured.
The truth is that the clock is entirely subjective and basically based off of the scientist's vibes. Of course a subjective measurement system, spanning over dozens of scientists for damn near 100 years is going to be extremely inaccurate.
Due to human psychology, negative emotions such as fear, anger, shame and anxiety are much stronger than positive emotions. All news outlets heavily abuse this fact, since it gains most traction. Many people use this too, to gain traction to their posts, or gain more influence.
I would recommend you unplug, and focus on hobbies or work that aren't related to the internet. Over time the internet has become increasingly hostile in a bid to capture more attention than competitors. Personally I like to avoid it when I can these days, despite working in tech.
Can everyone just stop for one day and enjoy one day of peace?
No. But maybe you can. It sounds like you might need some help though.
YOLO. Literally. So does everyone else. Everyone dies. Why live in dread of the inevitable at the expense of enjoying your short time in this world?
No, we're not all fucked. It's actually a pretty good time to be alive.
"Things are mostly OK, but we should work on a few problems" doesn't drive engagement. Nobody's going to click your headline, vote on your post, or watch your video if you say that, so people saying it don't get much visibility.
Play this game to understand more about the mindset of today and how people are losing trust in each other and how to solve it: https://ncase.me/trust/
You just need to do one thing - disconnect from news and politics. Those things will poison your mind and make you afraid, angry or worried constantly. Also all shitty social media that makes you feel bad.
You have no impact on what's happening in the world, so it makes no sense to worry about it.
Whatever will happen will happen weather you worry or not. So stop worrying. Focus on your life and your friends and family. Or your hobbies. Exercise. Feeling good.
I've done this for over 15 years now. No idea what is in the news. Feels great. I will find out about actually important things. It was impossible to miss covid or the Ukraine war for example.
But the circus, as I call it.... No need to watch that. You can safely ignore it all.
I’m not trying to spread fear but the Doomsday clock is 90 seconds till midnight, during the Cuban missile crisis, it was 7 minutes before midnight.
That's because they thought history was over in the 90's, and effectively changed the scale. The CMC was so much worse. People thought of nukes as normal weapons and if an extra officer hadn't been on a particular Soviet sub it 100% would have gone hot.
I have no idea what our chances are, long term. Unavoidable success and unavoidable failure are both possible scenarios. Short term, the Middle East could blow up and millions there could die, but I can't see it spiraling into a nuclear world war on it's own. MAD is strong and the rest can survive without them. Medium term it all depends on American politics, as well as AI if that actually happens.
I think the bigger threat to our lives is the creeping/ crawling/ walking/ running fascism and authoritarianism people have become complacent about and have come to accept.
World war, nukes, climate change, etc.. Those are big bads. But they aren't every day bads.
Its the every day bads that grind you down, and the world seems to have forgotten that that a good society to live in requires the commitment and work of its people to maintain it. I blame consumerism for training people to believe they can just shop for the things they want in life and don't have to build them. You can't shop for a better society; you can only build it. This lack of civic duty to me is the real problem beleaguering us, and these other ills extend from it. Individuals need to recognize themselves as responsible for the state of things and to take responsibility for making it better. The government is not some third party to you; its an extension of your-self and if it isn't functioning well, its on you to get involved and fix it.
I blame consumerism and the lack of personal responsibility it seeks to create in its patrons. People seem to have gotten caught in a mist that they are subject to the forces of this world, rather than recognizing themselves as the force that moves the world. Its a convenient thing for authoritarian leaders to take advantage of. Modern political leadership doesn't want voters involved except in the occasional, minimal interaction that implies consent to be governed.
We really need to figure out a way to get out of this frog-march into authoritarianism and fascism, because we can't address any of the other issues if that's the direction the whole ship is going.
The reality of life is that we will all die. Some will die quietly, peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. Some will die messily, painfully, alone and afraid. This is the reality we must all live in and accept.
It’s very possible that our species will die out. That is not an inherently bad or evil thing. Countless species have come and gone from Earth. Whether we destroy ourselves through war and ignorance, or we continue to thrive, doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is you.
You describe symptoms of depression and anxiety. You are sad and scared, and this is in part due to feeling powerless to fix the world. However, the only thing you have power over is yourself. Focus on helping yourself before you try to help the world. Try to find peace within yourself before seeking it in the world. The world is not, and has never been, a place of peace.
If you’d like practical advice, then I’d say stay away from weed and THC if it’s making you anxious. Keep away from alcohol as it will just exacerbate your depressed feelings. If you haven’t already, please discuss your feelings with a therapist and see a psychiatrist for mental health diagnoses and treatment. If either of these hasn’t worked for you before, I’d urge you to seek second opinions.
If WW3 will happen, there's nothing you can do about it anyway except keep going and make your living better.
Maybe we're f-ed maybe not. Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to do shit though, is it?
You're just spiralling into a depression at this point. All the while most of the things are completely outside of your control. You want to turn into the 'old man shaking fist at clouds' meme? Stop it.
Chances of a ww3 are incredibly low. Why? Because of the dependency on the global supply chain. Stuff is made from stuff shipped from all over the planet. Food, electronics, clothes, etc. We cannot just turn that off, and set up the infrastructure at home....build factories, have workers, have the raw materials... It's incredibly complicated. We are already a global society.
Consider all the shit that is happening 'ironing out the kinks', we all know that the perfect future is fully automated gay space communism. Just try and be on the right side of history when you can help it.
Nah dude, we were all fucked from jump thats what a lot of people can't face. We're a slime mold on a mote of dust stuck to a spark flying through a cloud.
Just be glad you ever existed, selfishly existing to prolong your own existence is spitting in the face of everyone who ever died for something and dancing on the not even grave of all the people who were never born. You better go out there and live your life to the fullest, because it's not coming around again, there is no next time, no do over. Just love and be honest, especially when it hurts.
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