Are you scared? Don't worry, it's normal. We are all afraid and dealing with Ukraine. It affected everyone somehow. Can war come here? Maybe yes, maybe not, it's hard to say. We won't influence that. But we can influence whether fear completely paralyzes us. This is happening to many of us right now and fear is making it impossible for us to live normally.
Do you also have acquaintances and friends who buy cartons of candy bars, bottles of water, flashlights and other items on Rohlík? Or that they are watching an online broadcast from Ukraine while working on the second monitor. Or those who at least want to talk about it and give their opinion, what will happen next? Well, you're not alone. Perhaps this is how you are experiencing the current situation. Fear generally interests and attracts us. Again, it's normal to be afraid. This time they are fighting for humny, and our generation has never experienced anything like this.
It's thick, after two years with covid, scared, with anxiety and uncertainty about the future, this comes. I see it everywhere - among friends and clients. All of them are completely out of sorts, apathetic or anti-social after the two years. Either they say it themselves or you can tell by their behavior.
What to do to not lose your mind? I wrote down five tips, which I share and which I follow myself. Maybe it will help someone else. As Tomáš Šebek wrote: Do your best and f*ck the rest! Precise and accurate. Brace yourself.
1. Receive information in a reasonable amount - check the news 1x or 2x a day
Is it really necessary to have a constant supply of information? Is it necessary to watch non-stop online transmission or constantly check the Internet, what's new in Ukraine? Can you focus on your daily commitments despite all this? A combination of fear and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) keeps us watching. And if a nuclear warhead is flying in our direction, you probably want to know about it. If she really flew here, you will find out even without the Internet.
2. Stay calm
Take a breath, tell yourself that it will be calm and return your thoughts to the present. Concentrate. Only then can you actively do something and influence. Hysteria doesn't help anyone. And even if it wasn't good and the world ends tomorrow, it's better to actively live today than to spend it waiting for tomorrow's apocalypse, right?
3. Don't be paralyzed by fear
Fear is a good thing, but too much of everything is harmful. When we are so scared that we are unable to take care of ourselves or those around us, it is counterproductive. And I would like to remind you that we do not have a war in the Czech Republic yet. That fear will still come in handy if something like that really happens here.
4. Remember to keep living your life
Sure, it's fresh now. But in a few years, with an interval of several years, we will evaluate the situation differently. I do not want to minimize what is happening in Ukraine. It's hell. But the only thing we can do about it from the Czech Republic is to somehow help, send money or go there to fight. And we shouldn't forget to live our lives too. Just because Putin invaded Ukraine, our obligations didn't go away, and we still have to pay our mortgages, go to work, or take care of our children.
5. Be prepared for worst-case scenarios
Being prepared reduces stress. I don't mean to buy all the canned goods and flour in the nearest Lidl, but it is good to eliminate as many external dependencies as possible. We have become so used to the Just In Time mode, i.e. that everything can be ordered, that we are extremely vulnerable. Being prepared may mean having some cash. Not having all the money in the bank and on Revolut. Do you know what you would do if you were having a bad day? Will you be warm? Will you have anything to eat? Without Wolt, Damejídlo or Rohlík? Do you have a candle at home?
Personally, I see it more as mental and physical preparation. It is difficult for a person to take care of his loved ones when his back hurts every morning from constantly sitting at the computer and he is generally cranky. For any crisis scenario, you need to be in good shape, ideally know something with your hands and be mentally stable.
