If you’re not a billionaire with a luxury bunker in some remote corner of the planet—all prepared for your comfort during “end-times”, or a fist-pumping fascist doing your best to bring about that nightmare, or brain dead, you’re probably feeling a tad stressed out at the state of things in the world. And since billionaires make up just 0.00004 percent of the world’s population, and it’s doubtful you’d read my posts if you’re a fascist, and it’s certain you’re not reading them if you’re brain dead, well, let’s just proceed with the assumption that the current situation is driving you bonkers!                  

So, what are we going to do? Stress is not only not helpful, it’s harmful to both our spirit and body. The very last thing we need right now is to be hurting ourselves. Plenty of people already out there eager for the chance to do just that to us. 

When I was drafting this post in my head, I jotted down a list of stress busters I go to in moments like this. (Who am I kidding? In my lifetime, there has never been a moment like this.) Checked them against recommendations from both the Mayo Clinic and the American Psychological Association. Bingo! I’ve included them at the conclusion of this post for you to peruse and see what works for you, but it was another source that stopped me in my tracks—Jon Kabat-Zinn’s revised and updated edition of his international bestseller Full Catastrophe Living: How to Cope with Stress, Pain and Illness Using Mindfulness Meditation. The book’s Chapter One title, to be exact: “You Have Only Moments to Live.” The words were spoken by an 85-year-old woman from Kentucky who admits she has had her moments, but if she had it to do over, she’d have more of them. More in-the-now moments—“One after another,” she said—instead of spending life wondering and worrying about what lies ahead.

Her words brought to mind an old saying by Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard: Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards [my emphasis]. So, maybe we can take a cue from this 85-year-old woman and save ourselves some useless and, indeed, potentially harmful fretting and grief now. I know my usual MO is to try to get out in front of impending—or what I fear to be impending— disasters to head them off, but let’s face it, the present scale of possible perils is too large for that. The stress count too high.

You have only moments to live.

Living in the moment. It has a sort of “stop and smell the roses” vibe. Like when you put on a favorite CD and find yourself bopping around the kitchen to it as you prepare dinner. Or a day of predicted rain turns out sunny and clear, so you grab your soulmate/kids/a friend and head for the beach, picking up a basket of lunch goodies on the way. Maybe you walk by the live music venue downtown and see they’ve got a great band performing tonight. You get tix and dance the night away with your partner or besties laughing, singing. Or you simply set aside the after-dinner chores (those pots and pans can wait) and enjoy a beautiful sunset on the back deck solo or with a loved one.     

Living each of these magic moments, being fully present in them, is I believe a recipe far greater than any other for sanity, health, and happiness.

None of this means there are no concerns, be they personal or worldwide in scope. It simply means you’re not letting what has not yet happened—and may not happen—destroy your happiness in the now. And now is the only moment we ever have. A succession of zillions of moments, hopefully, until our time stops, so do we want to spend them agonizing over the darker possibilities of a future that has not yet come about or do we want to live them fully in the present? And use the healthy energy those moments create to make the world a better place.

And speaking of that, active participation in marches and protests like the No Kings rallies is an excellent stress buster. Surrounded by thousands of other people, good people who believe we must raise our collective voice for democracy, the Constitution, the health of our planet, and kindness to our fellow human beings—well, you just can’t help but feel hope and strength and that most essential of all things: the knowledge you are not alone.

When Fears Become Reality: ACT!

But what if something has already happened to you? You’re one of the five million Americans who lost your healthcare thanks to the current Congress allowing Biden’s Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire.

Or your Medicaid was gutted in Trump’s 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill” (oh, it was a beauty all right!).

Or maybe you’ve got three kids and you’ve lost your food stamps thanks again to…the One Big Beautiful Bill!

These are real stressors, not something we fear may occur in the future, but losses that hurt us in the present. In such a case, it’s imperative to our mental and physical well-being that we act now, investigate what resources exist to provide aid. To that end, I’m listing a few orgs I uncovered in my research for this post. You may come upon others in your community or state.   

First of all, know that in an emergency—any severe or life-threatening situation, or imminent childbirth for a pregnant woman—hospital emergency rooms must admit and treat you without reference to whether you are insured or can pay.

Although you will still be expected to pay for non-emergency care, there are orgs out there ready and willing to help. Earlier this year, the Patient Advocate Foundation and PAN Foundation merged to launch TotalAssist, a program to get underinsured people the treatment they need—new or ongoing—for a variety of illnesses, including cancer. To talk with a TA representative, call (866)512-3861, Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:30pm ET. Because the need is great and phone wait times can often be long, TotalAssist also offers online chats at http://totalassist.org/contact/ . No password required.

If you lose your SNAP benefits, you can get free food right away by visiting local food pantries, soup kitchens, or regional food banks. You can find sources in your area at Feeding America https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank .  Just enter your zip code and they will provide a list of foodbanks in your area. I tried this and close to 100 places within an hour’s drive of my home popped up. Another resource: Call Project Bread’s Food Source Hotline at 1-800-645-8333.   

Also, contact your state representative and senator as well as your U.S. rep and senators and let them know how you’ve been impacted by the reductions in healthcare and/or food programs. My state rep, Lindsay Sabadosa, is a wonder of a public servant and a force of nature! When my car inspection failed during COVID because my license plate was a bit worn (but still readable) and there was no way to get a new one in that moment, she got right on the phone and made it clear: They had to pass my car! Wonder of wonders, they did that same day. Nota Bene: These are the kind of public servants you want to vote for. 

Keep Walking

Stress. It’s a miserable state to dwell in. And though it’s not possible to experience life without encountering its dark threats, it is possible to refuse to let it poison the precious moments that make up our time on Earth. Many years ago, a friend introduced me to Rumi, a 13^th century poet and Sufi mystic whose works figure prominently in Persian literature. I bought a volume of his writings, one of which I copied out and posted by my desk where I am daily reminded of its universal truth. I leave you now with his timeless words of wisdom and comfort:

Keep walking, though there’s no place to get to. Don’t try to see through the distances. That’s not for human beings. Move within, but don’t move the way fear makes you move.

Wishing you inner peace and happy moments beyond counting.

More Stress Busters

Music: Listen to it. Better, dance to it. Best, play it—guitar, piano, whatever. My neighbor, J, puts on music and lets loose on his drum kit.      

Go for a long walk, a run, a swim or do some yoga. No joke, you can feel the stress dropping away as you move.

Lose yourself—and your worries—in a good read.

Get-together with friends and neighbors. It reminds you you’re not alone and it’s just plain fun.

Pursue or start a hobby. You may think I don’t have time for that, but I urge you to reconsider. According to Sound Health & Wellness Trust, “Research has found that taking time to practice relaxing and engaging in enjoyable hobbies can cause a noticeable decrease in cortisol levels.” I do jigsaw puzzles daily, with no goal but enjoying the process—it’s done when it’s done. Great stress buster!