No matter your political views, it’s tough to shake off the impression that we’re living in chaotic, painful, and destructive times—many describe this as a “dark” period that fills them with anxiety and helplessness. A lot of us wish to take action, yet we’re uncertain about what steps to take on a broader scale or even how to support ourselves and those close to us. This raises the important question of whether meditation, mindfulness, and awareness can be beneficial right now, even when it feels minuscule against such overwhelming challenges.
But if mindfulness can’t support us in these moments, then what value does it hold?
Before guiding us on what actions to take, mindfulness initially focuses on how to exist. And it seems that is the critical starting point. During challenging times, returning to the basics is essential.
Before guiding us on what actions to take, mindfulness first teaches us how to exist. That’s where we must begin.
4 Ways Mindfulness Can Help Us Right Now
1. Stay Connected to Your Body
A key aspect of mindfulness meditation, particularly during stressful and fearful times, is that it helps us stay anchored to our body. When we encounter distressing news—whether it’s personal, like a loved one facing a serious illness, or global, like reports of conflict—it can disconnect us from our physical selves. It may even feel like we’re leaving our bodies. In such a disassociated state, our minds may race ahead. We may react more to our thoughts than our actual environment. A simple focus on our breath and a recognition of the weight of our bodies can effectively bring our minds back to the present.
Media, of course, is a common factor that pulls us away. Many of you probably already practice a news fast. Oliver Burkeman, author of Meditations for Mortals—which reflects on how our time management impacts our well-being—advises us to monitor how much time we spend consuming “news.” News, often manifested through social media these days, is designed to provoke our emotions rather than provide essential information. When we notice ourselves disconnecting from our bodies in reaction to the news, it’s crucial to return to our physical sensations and appreciate our environment. Observing a bird on a branch can invite a different sense of time—reminding us that nature isn’t part of the relentless news cycle. To build resilience against media influences, Burkeman suggests treating the news like something you briefly dip into rather than fully immerse yourself in, and to pay attention to the positive alongside the negative. I would suggest seeking out content that is reflective and insightful, rather than simply fostering fear and anxiety.
2. Embrace Choiceless Awareness
The grounding aspect of mindfulness allows us to observe our internal and external details, opening us to a type of awareness that is broader and less reactive. This deep awareness is said to be choiceless: it’s something that remains present regardless of our efforts to dismiss it.
Awareness acknowledges our anxiety without being anxious. It exhibits a mountain-like steadiness, along with a courage that reassures us that awareness continues, no matter what. We can find rest within it.
Grounded awareness isn’t about being aloof or emotionally detached. In fact, it is this awareness that allows us to truly feel—reacting naturally to distressing situations, like encountering a fervent speaker calling for violence against those who support the vulnerable, all while maintaining some humor and space around those feelings. Awareness captures our anxiety but remains calm. It conveys an unshakeable composure and confidence that reassures us that awareness is enduring. We can rest in it.
3. Embrace the Wonder of Not Knowing
When we think we know something for certain, our awareness can become clouded. New experiences get filtered through our established ideas. Instead, like the esteemed Zen masters, artist Maira Kalman, who previously contributed to Mindful and recently published Still Life with Remorse, revels in the state of “not knowing.” This approach underpins her artistic endeavors. In an interview, she shared, “At the end of the day, or the end of a life, everyone ends up saying, ‘I don’t know what I know.’” Rather than reacting to the ceaseless noise around us, aimed at inciting our fears for profit and pushing us to form immediate opinions, we can rest in uncertainty. When we allow ourselves to challenge our assumptions and avoid clinging to rigid beliefs, our awareness shifts to a more curious perspective, enabling us to marvel at the world once again.
4. Foster Compassion and Community
We can also be moved by the world’s suffering and atrocities, and this is where our actions come into play. How we respond will largely depend on individual circumstances. Just as awareness is inherent in us, so is compassion for others. While it may sometimes be hidden, it’s always within reach.
Just as awareness is inherent, so is the basic warmth of compassion, our shared humanity. It can be obscured, but it’s accessible to all of us.
As we become more grounded in our physical selves and rest in awareness, connecting with that warmth can guide us toward actionable steps within our control. Recognizing that we cannot solve every problem instills a sense of humility. Since the future is uncertain, we need not cling to specific desired outcomes. Those who stand up for the oppressed often embody this mindset, planting seeds in a garden they may never harvest but remain committed to—a concept reflected in the popular African-American saying, Making a Way Out of No Way.
The one thing we can affirm deep within ourselves is that we are inextricably linked to others, so seeking community is always a worthwhile first step.