Whos NOT excited for 2026?

my immediate thought is that the future by definition is unknown; sure "it is what it is" but the fact is that we don't know what that IT, is. it's ok to feel some trepidation about that uncertainty, and different individual people might have some more definitely scheduled events upcoming in 2026 that they're not looking forward to--- but just in general it's not necessarily ignoring reality to not assume 2026 will be a horrible year. we can safely assume that like every year, it will have its ups and downs; there will be rough patches and decent days, and it also helps to remember that nothing is actually going to magically change in our life experiences for good or ill when the clock turns over from December 31st to January 1st. we will still be just here living our lives and doing our best, like we were the day before and the day before that.

 

For everyone out there, if you feel a constant dread, sense of doom, anxiety, and debilitating sadness and breakdowns over the state of things (totally understandable) - you might want to try asking about getting medication for anxiety and/or depression (therapy would be nice for the few who actually have access to it). Sad things will still be sad. The world will still be on fire. But you won't be so devastated that it becomes hard to get through everyday and cripplingly distressing to think of the future. You can also focus your energy into changing things that suck for the better. Find joy in things again, even if you can still recognize the miserable parts for what they are. And remember to stay connected to some kind of community, stay connected to the people around you in your life who care about you.

Sincerely,
someone who is now medicated

 

Coming from an elder who's possibly twice your age and who's brain needs no help finding things to be anxious about if you're always worried about and looking for the worst you might miss and never enjoy anything else. If you're feeling overcome by those type of feelings, and can't put an ice cube in your mouth, take a moment to ground yourself to the here and now. Consciously remind yourself of where you are, when you are, and what you are doing. Assure yourself that you are in charge of your own feelings about things and in control of yourself and how you will handle the situation.

It's okay to practice some common sense preparedness incase stuff happens. A solar powered phone charger never hurts. The absolute worst time in my life was caused by a sudden case of **** happening and a lot of dominoes around it dog piling but the dolls and I survived. The only thing that made the situation drag out longer than it should have was someone else who was trapped by anxiety and learned helplessness. Once they realized that taking initiative towards a solution was the only way out it got better and now we're all in a much better place than before.

 

For those who are able and who can't access meds or therapy, online resources can be helpful. Therapy in a Nutshell is a youtube channel run by a therapist who talks about coping and different therapeutic methods beyond just cognitive behavioral therapy. idk if it's available in all countries, and it's in english, but it's been a really helpful tool for me. The therapist walks through different types of exercises, too, and her more recent videos are about Internal Family Systems, which is a model that can be helpful if there's a voice in our head that likes to catastrophize.

For those with toxic family, Dr. Patrick Teahan on youtube specializes in toxic family systems/dynamics and breaking free from them. (He does use the word narcissist if that is a deal-breaker.)

Finally, if emotional regulation is extremely difficult, there are free resources for DBT on the /dbtselfhelp subreddit.

Stay safe everyone, and take care of yourself.

 

It was just earlier this month I was reminded that if I hadn't learned to do ___ for myself that I'd be pretty lost in this world. Even with a disability that prevents me from doing many things safely I still want to do what I can. You're just going to have to do things while you're scared and then you'll be ready for the next time.

And it was toxic family, and I mean beyond TOS toxic not just disliking the color of my hair, that caused the most distressing time in our lives. Never put yourself in a hole to help someone else. When you find yourself in the position to accept a blessing keep it to yourself as long as you can, get legal advice, and remember how people treated you before they found out about it.

 

Everyone has given good advice, especially that if you're able, professional help in the form of therapy and medication if your anxiety is intefering with daily life and enjoying things you care about.

But you should also know that feeling anxious due to circumstances is valid. It's something to work to address where you can, and find coping strategies for when you can't. People evolved to be worried there might be a tiger in the woods because usually there had been, and they needed that fear to stay safe. But you don't need to be afraid of the tiger ALL the time, even if there really is one. No one can live life that way.

IF your anxiety is due to big things beyond your control, spiraling on them helps no one. It's a super easy habit to be in right now, I do it too! But if that's happening to you, try to picture a big STOP sign in your head, and instead think: what can I do right now? Even if that's "I'll pick up that dirty shirt I left on the floor," "I should fix my doll's wig," now you're making something better, no matter how tiny, not just being anxious. That gets you moving towards doing more because it breaks the spiral.

Last: if you have a primary care doctor you're able to see, it's worth getting a check-up. Sometimes your brain figures it had better explain why your heart feels fast or your stomach is upset, rather than anxiety causing those symptoms. Some medical conditions can cause anxiety, too, like a problem with your thyroid. Fatigue and depression can be caused by low Vitamin D (especially in winter). This isnt to give you medical anxiety, just say "check on your physical health too!"

 

I want to add that, especially given the overwhelming amount of content on social media, there is this tendency for compassionate, kind-hearted people to feel as though they need to or should bear witness to as many atrocities as possible. However, our brains did not evolve to effectively cope with this much information. Viewing and interacting with media that increases your misery by hijacking your empathy for others is not activism, and bearing witness alone is not enough to fix the world. It is important to minimize your doomscrolling and save your emotional energy for places where you can make a difference, such as your local community or existing organized aid foundations. I stay in the loop by following a few select news sources (I like WTF Just Happened Today for local US happenings of note), but I avoid most news that includes videos or images. It definitely helps keep some of the hopeless despair feelings at bay.

I also strongly recommend picking up a hobby that decreases the amount of time you spend online, preferably something you do with your hands and is repetitive (if you're able). Fiber crafts are great for this! Essentially, the repetitive movements help take your mind off of whatever is worrying you, almost like a meditation state, and the small hits of dopamine you get from making progress on your craft helps improve mood. Plus, if you're not wanting to use your finished project, you can gift it to loved ones or donate it to those in need, which also increases the amount of tangible good you're doing in your community.

For those of us with the "most likely" flavor of anxiety, where you're able to predict the most likely bad outcome of a situation, I think it can be helpful to do a little bit of a mindset shift. Don't go full tilt into the toxic positivity of "everything is going to be fine and nothing bad ever happens" because, spoiler, that's not how life works. Rather, prepare for the most likely negative outcome, but make a concerted effort to leave the door open to the possibility that things will be better than you expected. In my experience, it helps to keep me open to the little things that ultimately improve my day. Instead of "ugh, I slept like crap last night, today is going to suck," it's "ugh, I slept like crap last night and I'm exhausted, but maybe my cup of coffee will help me rally." It's small, but it does noticeably improve the way I cope with negative experiences.

 

I'm exited. Gonna be best year ever. Gonna get married again & going to Dolpa And hoping for lots & lots of other great things to happen as well. There is no past just future thats the only thing to look forward to. I went so far away from my life hardships so it cant get worse only better because I have more control & independence now

 

No one is keeping a suffering score, you don't earn any points, you're not going to earn any award. In fact you might make yourself insufferable to a lot of other people that way. Garbage in only leads to garbage out. One of the things I tell people who are dealing with an online shopping habit is to spend the same time they spend scrolling doing something else. If it has to be online then spend that time watching baby animals being fostered or some other live cam you find interesting. Soon enough it will be bald eagle hatching season. Erupting volcanoes are hypnotic. Go see how many squirrels raid a bird feeder.

You can get out of a crab bucket. There is something out there to hope for. My anxiety is primarily the bad things have happened and I'm just waiting for them to happen again type, but soon enough it's going to be 5 years since the worst time of my adult life, and when it was over it took longer to redo the paperwork than it took to get on the path towards a solution. I was an active participant in making things happen and even if they hadn't quite gone this way I know I had done everything I was capable of instead of just sitting there waiting for something to happen.

 

The best free thing you can do for yourself is to walk. Walk outside for 10 mins a day to start. It will help you both mentally and physically. The sun, nature, all the things outside can vastly improve your mental outlook on things. Try it for 30 days. I guarantee you will feel more positive and have a better outlook on things.