How to stay present as a parent with global anxiety?
Constant exposure to catastrophic news triggers intense panic and a sense of grieving an uncertain future while trying to care for young children. This background dread makes it difficult to focus on work or stay present for day-to-day parenting responsibilities.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Looking up survival gear online
- 2Calling representatives
- 3Stepping away from the internet and seeking grounding activities like walking, visiting coffee shops, or spending time with community
- 4Accepting uncertainty and making peace with lack of control
- 5Seeking therapy and medication for anxiety or OCD
- 6Getting off the internet
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Since reading “a whole civilization will be wiped out…” I have been panicking.”source ↗
“I’m supposed to be working but I’m online looking up survival gear. Worried about how are we going to deal with our 2 year old and protect him if something happens whether here or elsewhere.”source ↗
“Anyone else anxious to be a parent with all this doom, fear mongering, climate crisis denial, crazy tech overlords and politicians always looming over our heads?”source ↗
“Can’t help but feel like I’m grieving the future”source ↗
“How do you stay present with your children day to day with these worries in the background?”source ↗
Where this came up
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