Daily Gratitude: Nowadays this is extremely important to hold on to.

If you let the news and its resultant chaos get into our inner being, the result will be continued anxiety and fear.

Again, I am not advocating ignoring things you can do. What I am suggesting is that you calm your nervous system and know your inner peace before you look at the options. Don’t get caught up in things based on how horrible the situation is.

If nothing else, take deep breaths before making decisions. If you are really scared or worried, maybe you need a social media or news break until you can calm yourself and your response.

Practice breathing techniques and even consider meditation to learn to calm yourself. The value of a soothed nervous system cannot be overstated.

There are so many things happening that we cannot do anything about that if we continue to get all worked up, it will increase your stress response and that’s not healthy.

The world situation is enough to increase stress related illness and that’s most conditions. If you have a chronic illness or an immune related issue, you want to minimize stress as much as possible.

You can find peace within. It’s nearly impossible to find it without.

Daily Gratitude: We have to remember this. It’s so vital right now. The worst thing we can do is pull back and away from others. When world circumstances are depressing, pulling away will only make everything more oppressive.

This is the time to keep in touch; check on others, really probing them to make sure they’re ok; volunteer more with people that need company (seniors and the disabled or people in nursing or care homes). If you think you’re feeling bad, think how a person who is already lonely and scared is feeling. Company achieves amazing changes in people.

Tell those you love why you love them and tell them every day.

Ask someone what you can do to help them. Ask them what worries or scares them. In case you think that is being too forward, you might be surprised. They may just be bursting to let some thoughts and emotions out.

Don’t allow yourself to be alone. You must reach out for your own sake too.

Connection, community, commonality.

Daily Gratitude: Take this wisdom from Maya Angelou. You need passion and compassion to round out your being. There’s so much in between but if you can bookend everything else with just these two qualities, your life has a greater probability of being successful.

And of course humor helps everyone get through the day more easily.

But most importantly you need a mission no matter your age. You shouldn’t just be content with surviving. Having a deep mission can change that to thriving. Once you figure out your current mission, you will begin to thrive.

This may seem overwhelming but it’s only a few things you need to cultivate and pay attention to. Work hard on passion, compassion, humor and your mission. That should come before all else.