What to Do When the World's on Fire

 LUCY BURDETTE: Honestly, it feels a tad hard to stay optimistic these days. Covid is still with us although probably less lethal, horrifying wars abound, countries we don’t trust are rattling their nuclear sabers, the climate is warming and our politicians don’t seem to want to take action. Oh and don’t let me forget violence against politicians, and ordinary citizens who deny basic truths. What is wrong with this country?? (Make sure you vote tomorrow if you haven’t already–it’s more important than ever that we all speak up!)

Remember the early days of the pandemic when we were all holed up in our respective caves and terrified? It’s not quite that bad, but it could be. So I thought it might be time to talk about how we’re doing and to share ideas about how we’re handling the stress. 

For me, it’s a combination of keep working (because I have a lot of work that I am happy to have), keep reading (has anybody else tried Colleen Hoover‘s books?), and watch cat videos. See above for the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time, sent by a friend from college days.

How about you Reds? Tips for staying sane?

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: How do I manage stress? Honestly, having my dogs around helps. It’s hard to feel angst when you’re rubbing a furry belly. (Those of you with no dogs but with hirsute spouses can try this as well.) I make sure to spend time outdoors every day, walking the dogs or bringing in wood from the woodpile or just sitting on my front porch.

I also find the more I can stick to my routine, the better I feel. Is this an age thing, or do we all crave order and repetition, but never get the chance when we’re raising kids or working for someone else?

RHYS BOWEN: I certainly find life stressful enough now, having been through Covid, insurrections, lies and rising inflation. I worry how people can survive with the cost of everything soaring up. I’m not sure that I do manage stress that well! I find it hard to get back to sleep if I wake in the middle of the night. 

Certainly being in nature helps. When I’m in Marin I often drive to a nearby beach and listen to the lap of water and watch the sea birds. Now I’m back in Arizona and I love the view from my office window. I like lying on a sun bed and watching palm trees swaying above me. I love to swim, or just lie in the water looking up at those palm trees.

And I love to laugh. British comedies like Miranda (on Britbox) can do a power of good for me.

HALLIE EPHRON: My kids and my grands do a lot to keep me focused on what matters. Laughing a lot helps, too. I find the books and TV shows I watch have to have a strong dose of smart humor and likeable characters.  And trying to get a walk in every day. Lucy, love that cat video!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: This is such a profound question, and  such a personal and complicated answer. My husband has said to me “I have never heard you be this angry.” But that’s where it is, I am so sad, and so angry, and so… 

Astonished.  

I have spent my entire career looking for the truth, and it is jaw-dropping tonthink about how people just don’t care. They just – – don’t care about the truth, the only thing that matters is what they want. And that becomes true. 

Okay, end of rant. It’s such a balance, because we have to care about the big picture, and also care about the little picture—ourselves, and our families, and our little world.

I truly think we simply have to be grateful for what we have. Did we have a wonderful muffin for breakfast? Is our coffee completely delicious? Is there a beautiful bird in our backyard? We saw this woodpecker! Amazing!

 I am so aware that what we have is right now. And we have to love it and embrace it and notice it.

I do my work, the best I can.  I try to enjoy my very very lucky life, and I try to look at the world as if humans are basically good. 

I put my head down, and I work. And I try to count my blessings, and be optimistic. 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Lucy, the cat video is hysterical! I definitely need to see more things that just make me laugh. It's such a hard balance these days–I feel a responsibility to be engaged with what's going on in the world, but on the other hand it's so terrifying and it makes me so angry that it's impossible to function without some way to shut it out. Routine helps, as Julia says. Concentrating on the joy of small everyday things, friends and family, reading (thanks to Judy Singer for recommending the audio versions of Evie Dunmore's books–an absolute delight, but so meaningful, too.) And, unless, I'm frantically up against a deadline, writing, because once I'm absorbed in my story, it holds the world at bay.

Red readers, how are you doing? Tips for staying sane?