The Germans have a useful word: Weltschmertz. It roughly translates as world-sadness/tiredness/pain.
And ever since COVID, our world has become a more challenging place: more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA). It’s a thing.
There was a brief stretch of ease and relief once COVID restrictions were lifted and we began to get back to ‘normal’ life. But let’s be honest, life has never been less normal!
And it’s really important to acknowledge these changes and challenges—because they’re impacting us whether we like it or not.
You may wonder why I’m ‘focusing’ on all these ‘negatives’?
Well, I want to draw them out into the open. To acknowledge that while COVID is over, life and our world is more challenging than ever.
Plus, what makes this extra-challenging is that we have very little control (if any) over these wider societal changes. And that—in itself—is stressful.
And the impact of all this change adds up. On us, and the people around us.
Knowledge is power
In this awareness of difficulty, there is power.
Because when we deny how we feel, or pretend everything is OK, our feelings can drag us down making us feel literally ‘depressed’. Over time those feelings build up, and then they erupt—usually at a time when we least want to feel vulnerable.
So we can pretend it’s not happening. Or we can be courageous and say, yes, there are a lot of things going on in the world that are worrying and upsetting.
Then, once we’ve acknowledged that truth (and how it makes us feel), NOW we can take action. We can work to take action, take care of ourselves and build our resilience.
And a side benefit of acknowledging difficult truths is that we also connect with (instead of abandoning) our authentic self. So even though it’s hard, it feels good—and real. Because:
There is power in realising: Oh that’s why I’m feeling mad/bad/sad.
When we share with others there is comfort in recognising: It’s not just me! Other people are feeling this too.
And this gives us the energy and motivation to ask: What can/should/will I do?