Here Are Some Things You CAN Control in an Out-of-Control World

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It seems like lately, all the news is bad news and every day we’re losing more autonomy over our lives. 2020 has been “interesting” so far, to put it mildly. When the world seems so completely out of control, it’s important to get a handle on the things you can.

Focus on small circles.

This is advice straight from Selco.

Operate in “small circles” (your family, prepper group, network of friends). Learn useful skills, meet good and interesting people (in prepper terms).

That small circle is what it is all about and what is important when SHTF. Sorry, but your political opinion and worries about state policies are worthless, and can not change anything big- it is the big circle, and it is important only in terms of looking and recognizing signs of future events, so you may recognize the correct moment for bugging out for example.

Do not be pulled into general fear and hate because it clouds your judgment and it simply wastes your time.

Do not be pulled into it. (source)

And of course, he’s right. This isn’t Selco’s first SHTF rodeo. While it’s important to stay informed, your influence on a grand scale is pretty limited. You can’t personally change the way the government is handling the virus. You can only adapt your response to theirs. If you disagree with the handling, you may have choices to make – like bugging out, getting out of their scope of influence, or staying under the radar. But you probably can’t change the policies themselves.

So while everybody else is getting worked up about yet another misstep during a White House press conference, the campaign of Creepy Uncle Joe, and quarantines, take the information you need to make decisions and then disregard the rest of it. It’s not worth your time. It’s better to spend your energy on making things better within your small circle.

Work on your budget.

Take a look at your current income and then adapt your budget to fit it. I’m not talking about the income you made Before. (At this point, I think Before is a term that needs to be capitalized.)

I’m talking about what you’re bringing in right now. Sure, we all hope to walk right back into our former positions and put this all behind us, but I think that is very unlikely – and more so the longer the economy stays shut down. Our country is in real economic trouble and I don’t foresee it improving or “going back to normal” any time soon.

So it’s important to work with what is true right now – not what was true or what you hope will be true tomorrow.

Can you afford your bills on your current income while living your current lifestyle? Do an audit of your finances and make adjustments as necessary.

Recognize that you may not come out of this with your credit intact. Try not to worry too much about this because you’ll be in good company.  I know it sucks when you’ve spent years building a good credit rating, but in the grand scheme of things, your credit rating is of minimal importance when compared with “do we have enough money for food?” and “can I pay rent this month?” Prioritize the money you have to make the most important choices.

Control how you spend your time.

It’s easy to slip into bad patterns when every day feels like a weekend. For those who still go to work, your normal routine of taking the kids to activities, going out for dinner or a drink, or hitting the gym is no longer an option. For those who are furloughed, your routine is now completely thrown off. For those who are working from home, you’re now trying to take care of your kids, being interrupted by your partner, and conquer your workload.

But…you can control how you spend this time.

Don’t get sucked into all-day marathons of Netflix binge-watching. Don’t spend all day every day in your pajamas. Don’t just sit around eating junk food and bemoaning your fate.

Create a new routine for yourself and adhere to it with discipline. I’ve worked from home for a decade now and for me, a schedule is essential. I also have a work-reward system, for lack of a better term. I get up early, before anyone else in the house, and get the most essential business tasks done first. Then I take a short break for some food and conversation. I do not sit down in front of the television for “just one episode” of whatever we’re streaming. After we eat, I work for a few more hours, and then I attend to household tasks including making dinner. After dinner, and only then, will I stream any shows or movies.

Your daily schedule may look very different but I urge you to get the essential things done first and put off the relaxing part of your day until those tasks are complete.

It can also help to keep part of your previous schedule – get up, have a shower, and get dressed, even if you aren’t going anywhere. Set work hours for adults and school hours for children. And of course, don’t forget to leave some time for fun.

If you aren’t working from home, focus on tasks that make you better prepared. Start some seeds, get your garden ready, organize your supplies, do some canning, and test out equipment to make sure it works in a way that is efficient.

Stay healthy.

Do everything you can to keep yourself healthy.

  • Eat high-quality whole food. Although it’s tough with a limited budget, select whole grains, plenty of protein, and nutritious fruits and vegetables. Here are some suggestions on eating healthfully on a budget.
  • Get some exercise. Becoming one with the couch may be tempting but it isn’t going to do your body or your mental health any favors. Just spending time doing tasks around the house or yard at a fast pace with some good music can help keep you active.
  • Spend time outdoors. Even if you can only go into your backyard or out on your balcony spending a little bit of time in the fresh air and sunshine is good for your mind and body. If you’re able to in your current circumstances, absorb some vitamin D while out on a hike or walk.

If you have a pre-existing condition, strive to get things under control to the best of your ability. The healthier you are, the more your body will be able to fight off any virus you might come into contact with at some point in the future.

Take care of your mental health, too.

It isn’t just people with pre-existing mental health problems who are struggling right now.

  • Try to keep stress to a minimum. I know – much easier said than done these days. Here are some tips on dealing with “doom fatigue” about the coronavirus. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when all the news seems bad.
  • Spend some time in meditation or prayer. Whatever your faith or belief system, spend some quiet and reflective time each day connecting to it. This is good for your peace of mind.
  • Spend time outdoors. We talked about this above but one thing I’ll add here is that the Vitamin D you absorb being outside is really good for your mental health.
  • Don’t dwell on things you can’t control. It’s important to stay informed but that doesn’t mean you need to fall into a pit of existential angst over things that you can’t control. Take note of things but don’t take them on board as your personal burden. Treat these things as points of data to help you make decisions and try to keep yourself separated from it emotionally.
  • Focus on gratitude. If at this time you have a roof over your head, utilities running, and food in your kitchen, you are ahead of a lot of folks. Every day, spare a few moments to take stock of the positive things in your life, no matter how big or small they are.
  • Do something to help others. While keeping OPSEC in mind do something to help other people. This might mean sending a financial donation to an organization that helps those who are hardest hit, donating to the food bank if you have some food you can spare, grabbing a cup of coffee or a meal for a homeless person, or picking up supplies for a vulnerable neighbor.
  • Take joy in the little things. A video of a friend’s baby laughing is all it takes to turn my day around. The spring flowers are coming out where we live. The weather is beautiful. My seedlings are coming along nicely. I have a big stack of books to read. Go back to the simple pleasures in life instead of always looking at the complicated problems.

Your state of mind has a huge effect on your resilience. You need to treat it with the same importance you treat your physical well-being.

Be aware of how you’re consuming information.

First of all, stop thinking that you’re being weak or fragile by being bothered by these horrific events. I’ve seen people commenting that they aren’t “tough” enough to handle all of the awful things we’re being bombarded with by the media.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with toughness, weakness, or fragility. If you are a caring human being, of course these things get to you. It’s natural and, bonus, a sign that you aren’t a sociopath. This isn’t to say that people who can put some mental distance between themselves and the events are unstable – it is just to say that there is nothing wrong or weak about those who are overwhelmed by it.

We all want to be well-informed about the goings-on in the world. That’s why you’re on a preparedness site. That’s why you are paying attention to this. You don’t want to be one of those oblivious, reality TV show aficionados whose form of entertainment actually has nothing to do with reality.

But how do you balance this when you’re feeling horribly beaten down by the things in the news?

  • Choose where you get your news. Some news outlets are a lot more brutal than others and seem to take pleasure by posting the most horrific version of every event. Over and over, they show disturbing clips. The headlines shout at you about worst-case scenarios. You can avoid the news outlets that are the most controversial, the ones who stir up the problem to keep the hits coming in, the ones who make insulting, blanket generalizations. Avoid those with obvious bias and stick to the ones that report in a less sensationalistic manner. Reuters is rather dry but they tend to be a little bit less blatantly biased. You can often get a good idea of what’s going on in the world by simply scanning the headlines on their homepage. Check out their service, The Wire, too.
  • Avoid the comments section. Unless you want to see the worst of humanity, avoid the comments section of major news outlets. In most of them, you’ll be besieged by laptop warriors who spew hatred and ill-conceived 30-second “solutions” for complicated issues. Don’t get sucked into the hateful comments, don’t try to help them see the light or become more positive people. For some folks, there is nothing they love more than picking apart every word, every nuance, and every typo in an article and then using as a launching point for a diatribe.
  • Limit the time you spend consuming news. Unless you do this professionally, there’s no need to spend hours every day reading articles or watching YouTube videos about dead bodies being stacked on top of one another or how everyone is out of PPE. Limit yourself to a half an hour a couple of times per day. Have some websites that are your go-to sites for information. For the purpose of coronavirus coverage, I’ve found that Zero Hedge covers it from multiple angles, they break the news quickly, and even though they may be controversial and outspoken, they are extremely accurate. You can also subscribe to my newsletter here to get some quick updates.
  • Forget about all those lengthy press briefings. For a while, I was watching press briefings for the state where I’m staying and the presidential briefings. Particularly in the White House briefings, hours and hours were wasted on this every day. Reporters ask questions that were just answered in the briefing. Countless experts blow sunshine up your pants telling you how they have things under control. Lie after lie is told. A lot of the briefings from different governors as well as the White House are meant to be more conciliatory than factual. This isn’t to say that every person with a microphone is outright lying, but that they’re meant to keep people calm. Do yourself a favor – find a place that gives a reliable summary and spend five minutes reading that instead.

We live in a world in which information is constantly at our fingertips. This can be very unhealthy unless you control your consumption of it.

There’s no doubt that this is a difficult time.

We are living through historic times that will no doubt be analyzed for decades or even centuries if human beings are around long enough. The things occurring right now like the pandemic, the lockdowns, and the collapse of economies around the world are changing everything and a lot of those changes will lead to even more difficult times ahead.

Always remember there are things within your control. Cultivate things that are positive and reduce your exposure to things that are negative. Remember that you can’t control the huge, horrible events in this world, but you can control your response to them by focusing on your preparations and your mental well-being.

You can choose to stay out of these arguments that nobody wins. You aren’t going to change the minds of people calling others names on the internet. You aren’t going to enlighten people who aren’t seeking that kind of knowledge. If your own well-being is at risk, take a step back. Observe it all from a place of distance. As the old saying goes, those who wrestle with pigs get muddy too. Stay out of the mud and you will feel far less overwhelmed.

Make yourself a list of the projects you want to tackle, the things that bring you a sense of peace, and the tasks you can do to be better prepared. Make these things your focus.

Right now, as far as “apocalypses” go, most of us aren’t doing too badly. We have access to food, running water, power, relative peace, and the internet. Things may very well get worse but you can have a plan for that.

What are the things you’re focusing on?

Let go of the stuff you can’t control and focus on the stuff you can control. Don’t dwell non-stop on the bad stuff. It’s as simple – and perhaps as difficult – as that.

What are the things within your control on which you’re focusing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

About Daisy

Daisy Luther writes about current events, preparedness, frugality, voluntaryism, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, The Organic Prepper. She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site, PreppersDailyNews.com. Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and runs a small digital publishing company. You can find her on FacebookPinterest, and Twitter.

Picture of Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites.  1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, 2)  The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived, and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. She is widely republished across alternative media and  Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses. You can find her on FacebookPinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.

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  • Do not be pulled into general fear and hate because it clouds your judgment and it simply wastes your time.

    Then I read:

    So while everybody else is getting worked up about yet another misstep during a White House press conference, the campaign of Creepy Uncle Joe, and quarantines, take the information you need to make decisions and then disregard the rest of it.

    While who one votes for is important, you kind of violated the spirit of your post.

    And regardless of situation – good, bad, or indifferent, the advice re: things we can’t change are always there.

    • Totally agree. If we want to look at events impartially for the best sense of what is happening, let us not forget who wants to grab women by the p***y, and has rape allegations against him. Uncle Joe seems creepy to me, too, but that was a highly political statement.

      • Another liberal who can’t criticize their leader and has to deflect to old news about Trump. Let’s talk about all the video’s of Biden making children very uncomfortable with his touching and hair sniffing.

    • You do have a point. If it helps, I also pointed out that the White House Press Conferences are baloney.

      “Particularly in the White House briefings, hours and hours were wasted on this every day. Reporters ask questions that were just answered in the briefing. Countless experts blow sunshine up your pants telling you how they have things under control. Lie after lie is told. A lot of the briefings from different governors as well as the White House are meant to be more conciliatory than factual.”

      🙂 Thanks for reading.

  • I put this up on my FB page a few days back – today’s global number is 6.4% as of 10:30 AM EDT on 4/15/2020

    Don’t get me wrong, as an “at risk” individual with an artificial aortic valve and age 70, I take the needed precautions when I go out (rarely).

    For me, the most aggravating thing about our current situation is the incessant panic mongering in the news. Let’s do some grade school arithmetic:

    There are as of this writing some 1,904,556 known infections with 115,849 deaths globally. That is 6.2 %. In the US, 576,695 infections with 23,068 deaths. That is 4%.

    https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html…

    Some of the “news” outlets are claiming this is worse than the “Spanish Flu” of just over 100 years ago. Hogwash! An estimated 50 Million died then.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu

    Of course the underlying numbers are being skewed in both directions. The Iranians, Russians, and Communist Chinese are probably under reporting. I’ve seen some reporting (sorry can’t find source) that some states are over-reporting – If you are run over by a bus and die, and subsequently test positive for CV, cause of death is listed as CV. More federal funds?

    Please folks, take a deep breath, break out your pocket calculator and do some arithmetic.

    • Marc has the best advice for developing your own perspective you can get. It’s simple arithmetic, true you do have to accept the numbers as accurate and truthfully. Therefore you might be/should be sceptical of China’s. But a few simple math problems might make you go huh?

      It’s not that Cov19 shouldn’t be treated very seriously, obviously it should. But some of the heavy handed responses give credence to the meme “This has been a 30 day free trial of fasicism” .

  • Keep my faith and my focus on God. Then work on finding a new direction to earn money to pay the bills and help get our business back on track and hopefully new income streams. Organize my house, give away and sell stuff. All that can help bring in cash flow for my family. That all is productive and and a good use of my time.

    What I can’t control is some kind of medication for those of us who are high risk so we can go out and live life until a viable vaccine comes around. That part is frustrating as it is not talked about much and I don’t relish being stuck in my house for months and months while everyone else lives their lives. I have a husband and child I hope to still be around for. I do believe that the numbers are off in the US and around the world for COVID-19 and the way the lockdown was handled may not have been entirely necessary and could have been handled differently. But that is neither here nor there at this point…..

  • Thank you Daisy for this article.
    A lot of this is difficult for many folks to grasp. I really appreciate the part about focusing on where you can make a difference-in your own life! It is not a pleasant thing to be around someone who is constantly upset and ranting about things which they have no control over.
    Spending time outside for me is the best balm for my soul ever! I do it every day 🙂
    All things in moderation. I am watching a bit more Netflix cause I now have that time! By the same token my house is cleaner than ever considering myself, hubby, 6 cats and 2 dogs live here!! LOL
    The one thing that is difficult for me to bear is seeing the swift changes to the fabric of this country. This is NOT the country I have lived in for 50 some years. It has morphed, seemingly overnight into something resembling a communist country. Never have I seen so many sheep or lemmings as a shrink friend of mine said! It’s sad to see so many so vulnerable to the massive amounts of fear-mongering in the news. Shame on our gubmint for choosing this path of destruction. We elect them to represent us and this is the thanks we get?
    I wonder if there will be anything resembling a middle class on the other side of this?
    One day at a time is best. In the end everything here belongs to God and He will not be mocked.
    Maybe today God will do something awesome!

  • I’m trying to read all the gardening/camping/skills books I bought years ago but never had a chance to read. Learning a new skill helps give me a sense of control.

  • I’m focusing on less news and more quiet time. Concerned about getting my garden up,though. Here in southeast Arizona it’s warm for a few days ,than a cold snap moves in pushing my planting time back. I have learned one day at a time,the hard way. Thanks for your blog,Daisy, after all is done,yours may be the only one I go to for news. All the other ‘prep’ sites have jumped the shark a long time ago. May I make a suggestion? It may seem out of sorts right now,but how about having a day where people post humorous things that have happened since this virus started. We need to have some humor to help get us through.

  • Thank you so much Daisy! your calm tone always sets the right stage. I am fortunate to still be working – from home – as an alternative school teacher. So even my ‘classroom’ situation is alternative from many of the the other teachers out there doing what they can, in a very stressful situation.
    I think we may get close to 50 today!!! that would be the first of the year – I am soooo GRATEFUL that this ‘hunker down’ order came in the spring as opposed to fall. Each day, more snow & dog poop melt, i get closer to being able to get those garden beds unearthed & going. Bought a bunch of soil yesterday… so I’m focusing on that. I do ‘school stuff’ during my school day hours, then i can do other things. Balance. Like you said, I check a couple of sites for updates & then leave it. I sure don’t spend as much time on computer as I used to…. Zoom has kind of killed it for me 🙂

    I’m focusing on each day’s appointments / to-do lists. I have absolutely NO IDEA what the fall will look like for me, job wise. My school is for kids being kicked out of regular schools for fighting. so, if not in school to get in trouble…. but i have no control over any of that, and i know tons of things will be changing between now & then.

    thank you again!
    Kelley

  • Daisy…just a note to let you know that this x pat 4 ever, in Manila, very much values all that you write. Lovely, just lovely common, common sense, beautifully expressed, & even tho I just turned 90, there is still plenty to be learned, and you do a beautiful job.
    many, many, many thanks to you & all that help you…. HUZZAH!!! Expat tom

  • Good perspective, Daisy. Thanks for the calm and reassuring words. Lots to appreciate here.

    My current ‘issue’ is being without an oven, going on 3 weeks now, due to a dead thermostat. I’m McGuyvering my way through; baking bread in the propane grill, Instant Pot Easter ham, toaster oven for all the small stuff. It’s a challenge, which I accept, and will totally conquer. Type A competitor. lol.

    I won’t say that the situation is fun; too many folks are suffering. But, don’t dwell on the problems. Take them one at a time, work your way through them, and then move on to the next one. It’s like the line about ‘how to eat an elephant’. One bite at a time.

    • Figure out the make and model number of your oven and order a new thermostat. Search for videos on youtube showing how to fix it. It’s cheap and easy, I promise!

  • Being retired, not much has changed for us except for our drs. appts and hours spent as volunteers for various help orgs. We also don’t get to snuggle with our grands. >>sigh<< that's the worst part for us.

    But we have focused on taking stock of what we do have and trying not to waste what was not in our reserves already. I feel bad that a nice ham went to waste because the party never took place and we couldn't eat it all ourselves. There are only so many ways we like to do ham. It was ham-fatigue that did it.

    We are tearing up another section of the drought-wasted lawn to put in more garden space. Been busy sewing "designer" masks because our kids in the city wanted some so they could go out in public. They look more like ill-conceived string bikinis. After years of making quilts for everyone else, I finally made a spring quilt just for us. The bright colors made me feel better with all the extra rain we've been getting. The rain has been a great boon for the garden making it a lot easier to work with. So blessings can be found in everything.

    Our prayers and meditations have been more focused and therefore more beneficial in keeping a balanced perspective. We are even able to be content with a screwed up inheritance in the hands of a narcissist. All that was only going to be gravy anyway. Thinking about how to convey what we have to our children in the event of our deaths. Even if bigger things take them away from whom they are due, we still want our sons to know our wishes, at least. So, tying up loose ends.

  • I’m still working so it’s getting hard to relate to those not and the “we are all in this together” junk.
    No your at home on tik tok and I’m putting it on the line just like I do every single day. I’m missing my grandkids worse than I imagined because this isn’t like a deployment because I’m right here. I watched my grandson hunt Easter eggs from the truck like I was doing work surveillance. Craziness
    The politics are politics and while y ‘all say don’t worry bout it you immediately worry about it and try and defend your political viewpoints. It’s really hard to get a handle on this site.
    In my off duty time, life hasn’t changed too much as I’m not a social butterfly any cause I rip the wings off that sucker, when the weather is bad I’m doing inventories and cleaning out closets and such. I am watching tv and stuff too because I’m tired, mentally drained from stress from violence, virus and politics, and binge watching something completely ignorant like Tiger King on a cold rainy day helps.
    In good weather I’m busy doing normal spring stuff as well as snaring, shooting the bb/pellet gun in mask and night vison, preparing more static defensive measures etc.
    I check on and in with the neighbors as they may become my strongest allies or my worst enemies. We had our septic tank drained in case we had to come together we would know it’s status and I’m still not totally sure we are out of the woods yet. I started water glassing eggs in lime solution for long term storage. Check out Modern Refugee on YouTube for instructions.
    I’m going hunting soon as it’s a social distancing activity especially from stupid people. I make sure I work out daily and I make a list of things that need to be accomplished and put them in the calendar reminder on my phone.
    Welp it’s off to the grind again. Y’all stay safe

  • 30 year+ prepster here
    and mostly enjoying your info and articles
    keep waking them up
    but you do not seem to understand what is happening
    your advice is partly flawed
    one can not avoid the big picture and be prepared
    people who survive have discernment
    and can wisely choose
    what to ignore and where to look
    your comments about current potus say a lot about who you were
    before you partially awakened
    or maybe you just decided to cash in on it all
    get it?

  • Very interestingly the points you make here mirror the latest research done on how to treat COVID 19 related anxiety ( Mark Freeston -Newcastle University). Basically build a good routine to limit the impact of the disruption to your life, adjust how you manage the information you are getting (limit media coverage) and only then deal with any underlying long term anxiety issues.

  • I’m focused on a good cup…pot…of coffee in the morning, taking care of the garden and the other chores around here and then kicking back after the sun goes down. The rest of the world? Who cares. I can only deal with my family and our little chunk of the world, including our neighbors. Beyond that? Way above my pay grade.

  • To whom ever reads this comment read the Bible of Jesus Christ Birth and his gifts from the Wise Men
    Frankincense an Myrrh and Gold .
    Two of the three are Essential OILS to defend yourself from this Virus on a Banana, two just the breathing of Vapor will bring you a Peace an clarity to your Mind. The use’s of these oils is so great and the study of these oil’s can give you the Courage that The Bible is for ,the understanding the Protection of Divine Providence.
    A lIttle Gold in the smallest amount can be used and to start the collection of this is still there .
    Germ warfare is upon our country and the virus will be defeated by the Gifts clearly outlined in the GOOD BOOK .
    Fear is overcome for those who Know God .

  • First of all, thanks very much for sharing your great tips to help us in these troubling times. I especially like the ones about going outside and exercise. Sometimes simple things are all we need to help us through.

    What really helps me during these unsettling times is to focus on God and His wisdom. One verse that has helped me recently is 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” When I meditate on this verse, I find it uplifting and it helps me focus on the positive and energizes me for the day.

    God bless.

  • Personally I would have to say the most helpful thing to my own mental health is realizing and accepting that there is very little if anything I can do about the political and social upheaval we are now experiencing, so why stress over it. Being a follower of Jesus Christ helps tremendously in knowing that He is in control and everything is working as He planned. We seldom socialize like we once did with anyone other than close family. That means our circle is very tight. I do have acquaintances whose own circles overlap my own just a little, and others whose circles overlap a bit more. The later because we are on the same wavelength, so to speak, and have developed some trust. But not to the point of compromising our OPSEC. I try to stay informed on events daily so that I can adapt our planning and ability to meet potential challenges that may be thrown at us and make adjustments as needed. So far I think I have a pretty good track record of placing us in a good position in advance of events unfolding like the shortages we have already experienced in a number of areas. We can’t prepare for everything. But even if you are only partially prepared for difficult times it removes a lot of stress from the equation. I’m retired and have been so for a number of years. I sometimes cross paths with former co-workers who ask, “Where have you been all this time?” I say that I’m keeping a low profile and am working undercover. They take it as a joke. Its not. I make the effort to remain beneath the radar. So should we all.

  • Whenever you write these articles, Daisy, they are timely. You covered all the bases with this one about our control and lack of it.
    I pondered the admonition, “its important to stay informed, but don’t take things on board as your personal burden. ”
    I asked myself if I have been doing that for the last few years of preparing.
    I don’t think so. I never panic purchase. I don’t lose sleep over the current news. I watch one hour of news and commentary each night and if I’m in a bad space for personal reasons, I don’t watch it. I continue preparing in different ways but if I cannot make a big purchase because something else in my home broke, I don’t lose my mind over it. I just wait or buy a few smaller items. My greatest disappointment is that my husband put a stop to my prepping group because he has normalcy bias. He keeps reiterating that “things will turn around in a few years.” I don’t believe that we as a country will last that long. But even this I’ve had to let go of. My theology is that God brought me into this world when He wanted and He will take me out when, and not a moment before, He wants.
    I look at my life as a series of assignments, when I’ve done all I’m supposed to do, my time here will be up and I will struggle no more.
    Right now the DH is in his 15th day of covid 19 and the coughing is horrific. Last night I sat outside in my beautiful yard watching a hawk catch a gopher, deer dining in the pasture, toads singing their deep songs. I did that just to escape the incessant coughing that he cannot help.
    The peacefulness I experienced was just what I needed.
    When I worked in mental health I walked in the quiet desert each night after work. It gave me a different perspective after 8 hours of thinking everyone was crazy.
    It’s not just children who need time out. We do too.
    Great suggestions, Daisy. I missed this article the first time you posted it, but it applies today and will tomorrow just as much.

  • Love it, perfect article for me to read today and I’m sending a link to my friend. We just discussed this last night on the phone . I’ve been limiting my news intake , I keep it on to see the daily numbers and if we have new restrictions imposed then I’m out. I’ll check the weather online later. I dont need to get caught up in the drama and consistent sense of urgency they are trying to create. I can’t change that but I can change how much I watch. PJs day once a week and movie night full of junk food binge watching also once a week. Focusing my time on home education (even on school holidays) preparing healthy meals ahead for freezer when I don’t feel like cooking or had a crappy day. Back to sour dough baking and looking at new ways to preserve / use up our fruit. Planting / planning spring gardens and future garden planning , repairing all those items I never seemed to get too and pulling out the board games. I’ve been given the gift of more time with my kids making the most of it. I’m not in denial of the shit show that happening just doing what I can for a balanced routine for my household.

  • I really liked this article. Great Advice! I have been concentrating on things that I find enjoyable to help keep my peace of mind. It is difficult when people around you want to tell you all the bad news.

  • Going to take an educated guess and say Daisy posted this as a helpful guide.
    It is just as relevant today as it was when she wrote it back in April 2020.
    The WH press conference part, even more so in an ironic sense.

    Watching the supply chain issues, inflation rising, increase hostility over various issues . . .

    Fall is in full swing here. Walking the dogs in the morning, the smell of leaves, crisp clear air. Blue skies and the sound of geese flying South.

    Good times!

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