Ten Ways to Stay Sane & Joyful During These Tumultuous Times

There have been periods in our history when past generations had to endure through the most difficult times imaginable. From the two World Wars to the Depression, people were in despair and deathly afraid of what was happening in their lives and throughout the world and weren’t sure if there was any hope for the future. Although these days we are not seeing as many deaths as the wars and depression brought about, we are seeing as much discouragement and despondency as ever before because of the tumultuous times we are living in amidst a never more depraved culture. 

Everywhere we look we see the depravity that has created the despair: a lack of public order; a confused and declining Catholic Church led by scandalous priests, weak bishops, and a vindictive, chaos-causing pope; lukewarm, faux Christians who pervert Jesus’ Truths and gloss over God’s commandments; immoral edicts from the government and courts; and deluded people who expect society to not just accept their mental illnesses as rational but applaud and extol “their truths.”

As faithful Catholics, we know that if one has faith in God, one can endure all things. However, we also know we are imperfect humans who can succumb to the temptations to abandon hope. It takes a strong, resolute Christian to surrender to our Almighty Father, trusting that “God’s got this!”

I’ve put together 10 ways that may help us grow stronger and more resolute so we can indeed endure today’s depressing news and faltering culture. I pray that at least a couple of these suggestions might resonate with your situation so to help give you more fortitude to be able to overcome any fear of the future and to remain steady in your will in the face of obstacles, setbacks, and worries. 

Ten Ways to Stay Sane and Joyful During These Tumultuous Times

1) Do not let a day go by where you haven’t prayed to God in adoration, thanksgiving, petition, and intercession. Do not let a week go by where you haven’t gone to Mass and received Jesus in the Eucharist. Do not let a month go by where you haven’t gone to Confession to receive the Lord’s saving grace.

2) If you do not already have common sense friends, family, or acquaintances in your life who are as like-minded as you in your worldview and faith, cultivate new, healthier relationships with people who will better understand you, affirm your choices, and are traveling on the same narrow path as you.

3) Give to your Savior your every worry, your every concern, your every situation that you cannot control. Ask Him to help you rely only on Him. Repeat to yourself in any situation where you feel anxiety creeping in, “Jesus, I trust in You!”

4) Seek counseling from a wise and trusted friend, or if the despair or depression has grown big enough to impair you, seek help from a licensed mental health professional. Search for a Catholic or Christian therapist/counselor who is not just professionally trained but looks at things from a faith perspective and so can incorporate prayer as well as respect your need to adhere to Catholic doctrine regarding any medical treatments. Your Diocese may be able to refer you, or you can try these resources:

catholictherapists.com; wellcatholic.com; catholiccounselors.com; faithfulcounseling.com; psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/christian.

5) Make sure you are eating more healthy foods such as whole grains, fruit, and vegetables and eating less unhealthy foods such as refined grains, sweets, and fast-food, as research shows you lower your risk of depression when you eat well and cut down on junk food.

6) Set a goal to exercise (e.g., walk, play outside with your kids, lift weights, do yard work) at least 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week so to release feel-good endorphins, take your mind off worries, boost self-confidence, and cope in a healthy way to manage any depression or anxiety.

7) Do not “overthink” things. Overthinking robs you of your faith since you are putting more trust in assuming the worst case scenario will befall you than having faith that God works everything together for your good. St. Paul of the Cross reminds us that nothing can happen without the Lord’s knowledge and permission and as a loving Father, He will never abandon or forget you:

“When you notice that your heart is moving away even the tiniest bit from that inner peace that comes from the living faith-experience of the divine presence in the soul, stop and examine what the cause of this anxiety might be. Maybe it is some worry concerning your house or children, or some situation you cannot change at present. Bury it in God’s loving will.”

8) Each week plan to do a little act that could make a big difference in someone else’s life, from “paying it forward” at the drive-through line to baking cookies for a neighbor to emailing a random appreciation note to your child’s teacher. If you surprise someone with a small thoughtful gesture or little act of kindness it will increase your own joy by helping you see all the ways you are making a difference in the lives of those around you and see that you can make a positive difference in the world.

9) Instead of thinking about all the stuff that is going wrong in your life and in our tumultuous world, bring to mind all the things for which to be thankful, from family and friends to health and hobbies. It will make your life more enjoyable when you choose to constantly be grateful instead of constantly focusing on what grates you. A fantastic way to start your day on a positive note is to call to mind each morning the people, events, and things for which you are thankful. Or if you prefer to end your day on a positive note, follow Bing Crosby’s advice, “When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep…and I fall asleep counting my blessings.”

10) Take time to reflect on these two Scripture passages of trust and hope, and return to reread them occasionally:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you. …I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:4-9; 13)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)

Every time you are tempted to despair, take heart in knowing this actually has now become your opportunity to deepen faith in our Lord and surrender to him, trusting that “God’s got this!” Be joyful by keeping your eyes on the prize – which is not in this lifetime or of this world.