All emotions have a purpose – they are communication devices trying to tell us something. I’d argue that when the emotion of helplessness shows up, it is asking for a fight.
A fight? Mmhmm, a fight.
Helplessness tells us: “You have no options.” “There’s nothing you can do.” “There’s no point in trying.”
Many of us experience these same emotions and thoughts in the face of the ongoing news, tragedy, and suffering throughout the world. I get that.
Your helplessness may be yelling, “Come on, listen to me, I’m telling you there’s nothing you can do.” Sometimes we engage in that fight by believing there’s nothing that can be done. This can lead to further rumination, isolation, and intense fear. However, there is another option. We can shift our focus to what we can change – making a moment-to-moment choice to move in the direction of our values in the face of the threats of helplessness. These choices can look like holding space for ourselves and for others with balance and compassion, among other choices further highlighted in this article.
Often, helplessness removes us from the present moment by making it difficult to take value-aligned action. However, there can be a balance between staying informed, advocating for others, and taking care of your health (mentally, emotionally, and physically). Continue reading to explore the transformative power of acknowledging and addressing helplessness, steering it towards purposeful action and self-care.
“You are never strong enough that you don’t need help.” – Cesar Chavez
As the world grapples with ongoing the news, tragedy, and suffering, understanding how to navigate and respond to this emotion becomes crucial. Rather than succumbing to its narrative, there exists an alternative path – turning the mind towards actionable choices aligned with personal values. Striking a balance between staying informed, advocating for others, and maintaining individual well-being forms the foundation of this approach.
Maybe your experience of helplessness causes you to feel like there is no way for you to support others around you. There’s an immense power in naming shared feelings of grief, fear, loss, sadness, and despair as well as in finding ways to contribute and give back. We may not have shared experiences with someone who is directly impacted by global events and we are still capable of moving in line with connection, compassion, and community. Ask others how they are really doing. Shared experiences of grief, fear, loss, and sadness can be acknowledged and addressed. Strategies for staying informed involve reading and watching diverse media sources, fostering awareness, education, and active participation in advocacy and community engagement.
“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth.” – Malcolm X
Helplessness can also sound like: “There’s nothing I can do because I don’t know anything about the situation.” “There’s nothing I can do because it’s not my place to say anything.” And yet, we are surrounded by readily available information. It can be overwhelming and eye-opening information. Searching for a range of media (articles, photos, videos, documentaries, etc.) -- especially media that is outside of what we have been taught -- can support us in moving with the values of knowledge and growth.
Sometimes what we can change is right in front of us. Invite yourself to ask, “what is hard for me to accept in the world right now and what, at this exact moment, is in my power to change within that?” Donations, demonstrations, and contacting elected officials are some ways to move toward the values of advocacy, justice, community, and connection. In doing so, try to be honest with yourself about your time limits and financial restrictions. Change comes in numbers. When it feels like there’s nothing I can do, find the people who are doing. Caveat: the doing can be exhausting which is why checking in with ourselves is of most importance. Vicarious trauma, or secondary trauma, entails indirect exposure to traumatic events (including news coverage and media about traumatic events).
Navigating helplessness involves recognizing the limits of individual power while still honoring the potency within those constraints. Advocacy, justice, community, and connection can coexist with the need for rest, health, independence, and self-acceptance. By acknowledging the multifaceted nature of one's power and the simultaneous existence of vulnerability, individuals can respond to helplessness with resilience and purpose.
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” – Angela Davis
The shift from helplessness to purposeful action involves a balance between individual well-being, community engagement, and a mindful approach to navigating the complexities of the modern world. By acknowledging helplessness as a call to conscious action, individuals can play a transformative role in their lives and the lives of those around them.
At any moment, we have an opportunity to check in with our values that can be help true at the same time – advocacy and rest, justice and health, community and independence, growth and self-acceptance. When helplessness bluntly states, “You have limited power,” you can reply, “My power has its limits and it is still power.”
Further Reading: