When the world is drowning in another crisis, how do we care without creating more suffering? How do we protect ourselves against vicarious trauma? Let’s reflect on the Middle East tragedy, by stepping outside the politics and into the quiet solitude of a grieving heart.

 

When the world is drowning in another crisis, it can be hard to hear our own heart. It can be hard to find balance between caring about the suffering of others and carrying it on our own backs and shoulders. Yet, we must, because without that line, we risk acquiring vicarious trauma.

What have the last few weeks been like for you? Have you found yourself in an inner space of awkward loss and silence, feeling grief and overwhelm from the events of the world… 

 

Perhaps you felt like you wanted to be heard, yet did not feel like talking. 

Perhaps you wanted to be understood, even when you did not know what to say.

Or maybe, you can’t reveal what’s on your heart, yet want to be seen regardless.

 

Sometimes it may feel like we arrive at an empty parking lot, finding stillness and desertion, instead of  signs of life. We hear silence instead of voices that talk about things we find important. Events of our times may make us feel alone and abandoned, when what deeply matters seems to be left out of the conversation and ignored.

We are all trying to process something together, while being in what feels like a disorienting fog. This isn’t about getting the story “right.” When it comes to innocent lives (people like you and I, going about their days and trying to live their lives), the story of political agendas is less relevant. When we take sides politically, we lose sight of the human crisis that is unfolding.

In this episode, we explore ways to reconnect with our own heart, in our attempt to look into the unseen. 

 

Being Aware of Vicarious Trauma

 

World shattering events can be all-consuming. So much so, that it can be difficult to see the line between being a witness to events and becoming traumatized by them.

As we keep our compassion and empathy burning, we also have to make sure to protect ourselves from vicarious trauma. This is the kind of trauma that occurs when we are repeatedly exposed to and are made a witness to the trauma of others.

Vicarious trauma is especially debilitating when we are unable to help those who are in crisis. The reality of global issues is such that individual efforts rarely move the needle in these complex geo-political dynamics. Not to mention, it is a sure recipe for burnout.

 

Staying Seen and Visible

 

As we acknowledge the pain of others in the world, we also have to make sure we see ourselves. When we neglect our needs and become invisible to ourselves because of the suffering of others, we add to the suffering.

When we do not allow ourselves to live our life and enjoy its precious moments, we create another tragedy. A personal one. This only adds to the global tragedy playing out in the collective. Let us not add ourselves to the unseen.

It is not out of callousness or cynicism that we must live our life and hold on to what matters with both hands. It is because we value and treasure life, that we must do that. Listening to our own heart in solitude and silence will show us our own unique way of caring about the suffering of others, without carrying the weight of the world on our heart.

   

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Rubin’s Vase Illusion
• Young Woman / Old Woman Illusion 
• Use of White Space and Negative Space in design
• From Emotional Contagion to Emotional Resilience (TPP 024)
• Navigating Life Storms & Finding Strength in Dark Times (TPP 064)

 

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