To anyone reading this in the future, the date is 2/3/25, and the country is falling apart at the seams. Every minute, there’s a new update about rights we are losing, people suffering, and the worst people you know are prospering.

As a therapist, my clients look to me to help them feel better, to improve their life, to help them see that there is hope in situations that have seemed hopeless. As of late, I have struggled with feeling hope myself, as I am overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of terrible things.

Even though I have many answers as a therapist, I never feel that I have to have all the answers, so I reached out to my brother and asked him to help me think through what has happened these last few weeks. It was a long conversation, but there are a few lessons I’m taking from it that I want to share with you. Perhaps things I should have known already, but helpful reminders when dealing with overwhelming tragedy, as our country is collectively experiencing.

What can we do?

Focus on what you can control

As many things in our country fall apart, it can be tempting to hide and give up. But people count on you everyday to show up and be yourself. We can’t stop many of the things happening around us, but we have some control over where we focus our brains. Taking care of yourself, taking care of those who rely upon you, and focusing on the logistics of everyday life are all places where we can exert control and build the life we want.

Limit your exposure to negative information

It can be tempting to stay informed about every new horror that emerges, but there is a real cost to our brains to bask in the negativity and pain. The reality is that people are suffering and will continue to suffer, but keeping that information at the forefront of your brain doesn’t change any of that. You can allow yourself to stay informed, but only to a degree that it is sustainable for you, only inasmuch as you can still live your life and not be miserable.

Resist in the best way you can

Voting, empowering people around you, being a voice of calm and peace in a chaotic world, marching in protest – whatever you have within your ability to fight back, do it. Even if your only act of rebellion is treating others with kindness and love, that counts. Speak up for what matters to you, even if you don’t think anyone is listening. It won’t fix everything, but it may mean something to someone else.

Know this is not forever

I think this is the most important lesson for me. As bad as things are right now, I believe that history has a bend toward justice. Dictators die, oligarchs fade away, and liberty prevails. It will not happen soon, and it may not happen for a long time, but the arc of history is long, and power will return to the people. We’ve all made it through difficult things in our lives, and as hard as those were, we survived them. We will survive this too. And even if we don’t live long enough to see things get better, perhaps our children and grandchildren will see it.

I can’t promise that I won’t lose hope again, but I want to keep fighting. And I hope you’ll fight with me.