~ Anxious Times ~
By John R. Ballew, M.S.
Copyright 2005 all rights reserved
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Code Orange! Better get that duct tape and plastic out. And bottled water, yeah, gotta get that. Your
401(K) statement has arrived – Code Red on that one! Forget about retirement. Retirement? What
about layoffs?
Remember when you had the energy to get all worked up over Enron? Seems like years ago. Missiles
in North Korea, bioterror in Iraq. Budget deficits. Rumors that Antonin Scalia will be the next chief
justice; yikes! Is it any wonder you’re feeling anxious and depressed lately?
We live in a very stressful time, made all the more stressful because not too long ago things seemed
very, very good. The contrast is stark and painful. There is a great deal of uncertainty right now.
Uncertainty can actually be more stressful that flat-out bad news because it makes us feel helpless. No
one is comfortable feeling helpless.
You may doubt that all of this affects you – after all “politics” has never been of that much interest to
you. But it’s hard to ignore the magazine covers, radio demagogues, television news, all full of anger
and bad news. And conversations with friends and co-workers often bring up other anxieties about jobs,
finances, day-to-day uncertainty. Even if there is nothing as catastrophic as the World Trade Center
attack, the steady drumbeat of bad news can become wearying and adversely affect your well being.
Notice how you respond to stress. Does your response feel excessive, causing you to lose sleep or
become obsessed and frightened? If you’re feeling off-track, take steps to take better care of yourself.
There are a number of things you can do to manage your mental and emotional health in difficult times.
Monitor how much time you spend with the news. Staying informed is good, but it’s easy to get a bad
case of information overload in the internet/satellite TV age. Studies have shown that people who
regularly watch the evening news greatly overestimate their risk of being murdered or having their
house burn down. Stay informed, but try to cut back on needlessly negative noise.
Don’t skip the gym. Exercise and eating well are important ways to strengthen your ability to cope with
stress. If you find yourself feeling particularly anxious, get yourself up and moving – take a walk, go for
a swim or a run.
Stay focused on taking care of business. Letting your mind wander into worst case scenarios or
dwelling on other people’s bad news can distract you from doing what you need to do to be productive
at home and at work. Offer a listening ear to your friend who has been laid off, but don’t mistake his bad
fortune for your own.
Maintain perspective. Duct tape and plastic on the windows remind you of duck-and-cover stories from
the Cold War? Consider realistically whether your home in Alpharetta is going to be targeted by Sarin-
wielding Ninja terrorists. You’re much more likely to be killed in traffic driving to the Home Depot to get
the supplies.
Thinking positively and doing the sort of things that we need to do to take care of our daily lives can
alleviate a lot of the anxiety that comes with uncertainty. Life itself is uncertain and constantly
changing. Take good care of yourself and you’ll be able to prosper even when times are crazy.
John R. Ballew, M.S., is a licensed professional counselor in private practice in Atlanta. He specializes in issues related to coming out,
sexuality and relationships, spirituality and career. He can be reached via the web at www.bodymindsoul.org or at (404) 874-8536.
© Copyright 2005 John R. Ballew, M.S. All rights reserved.
The BRC extends thanks to John R. Ballew for his gracious consent to display and archive his contributions on this site. Any duplication in
any form