Does thinking through good or bad possible outcomes help you deal with anxiety about the future?

Evan Prodromou

🍋 Superball ☀️

@evan
Great question! I think it does, as long as I stop when the thoughts start repeating too much.

Evan Prodromou

Douglas Patriarche

@evan Qualified no. I have spent a lot of time thinking about possible futures and making plans, but ultimately it doesn’t help reduce my anxiety, rather the opposite if I’m honest. I talked to a psychologist about this, and he suggested dialling the planning back and trusting that one can handle crises as they arise.

Raccoon at TechHub :mastodon:

@evan
Planning is good. It's fatalizing that's bad.

For instance, at TechHub, we are talking about moving the server to Canada if Trump is elected, to prevent Elon Musk from weaponizing the regulatory bodies against us.

But I'm trying not to think about the election when I'm not purposefully engaging with it.

Joseph Szymborski :qcca:

@evan I sometimes get the feeling there is an uncomfortable thought that I'm avoiding, it usually manifests as a general feeling of anxiety.

That's when I know I need to steel myself and look it in the face so I can understand _what_ is bothering me, _why_ it's bothering me, _whether_ it should bother me, and what action I can take to deal with it.

I'll have a sense of dread all day and the realize it's sometimes as silly as "I read a headline that didn't sit well with me".

Ricki Gray Area Witch Tarr

@evan Lord, I need a maybe, but great question

Evan Prodromou

@RickiTarr thank you!

Evan Prodromou

So, I am qualified yes. I've been worrying about the 2024 US presidential election since, I dunno, mid-2020 or so. Having a second Trump presidency has been almost unthinkable -- like a black hole in the world timeline.

Feeling anxious last week, I took some time to visualize and sit through what it would mean and how I would cope.

Evan Prodromou

And I just remembered how many people inside the US and outside stood up and resisted his worst tendencies in the last administration.

I don't think losing this election has to mean losing our country. We don't have to give up.

There is a lot of work to do to move forward in the US and in the world, and that work would have to be put aside to just dig out of the hole of a second Trump presidency. But we could do it.

Evan Prodromou

I don't want to downplay the fucking catastrophe it would be.

But Americans are tough and smart and dedicated and united and we can survive it and come out the other side.

Evan Prodromou

I don't want that outcome, but if it happens, I will be there to fight, and if you will too, I am proud to join you.

Evan Prodromou

That all said, I'd much rather have the outcome where we work on making progress from the point we're at today, rather than trying to fight our way back to here from a giant step backwards. Fingers crossed.

Benjamin Kwiecień 🇵🇸

@evan I'm curious to know what exactly it is that worries you. As an American, it's hard for me not to feel a great sense of apathy towards this situation. I am definitely opposed to Trump, and while I think the Democrats are better than the Republicans, the Democrats may also give you a false sense of complacency or hope.

Evan Prodromou

@ben I don't think listing out the things that worry me is going to help with my anxiety or others'.

Evan Prodromou

We did not get that outcome.

Miguel de Icaza ᯅ🍉

@evan only saw this thread now, but ready to join you. Hugs Evan.

Evan Prodromou

@Migueldeicaza ty

David Wheeler

@Migueldeicaza @evan same

Evan Prodromou

@theory @Migueldeicaza good.