Taking Care of Yourself During Difficult Times

You’re still allowed to want a beautiful life, even when the world feels like it’s falling apart.

Things feel really heavy in the world right now, yet we’re expected to carry on with our daily lives as if everything is “normal.”

As a millennial, my generation has been shaped by back-to-back traumas, upheavals, and systemic failures. Here’s just a small list of what we’ve lived through:

A Timeline of Millennial Upheaval:

• Y2K (1999–2000): We rang in the new millennium amid fears that a global tech crash would bring down the world as we knew it (at 9-years-old I didn’t quite understand but it sounded scary)

• 9/11 Terrorist Attacks (2001): At 11 years old, I watched the Twin Towers fall live on TV. What followed was decades of war in the Middle East and a new era of global fear and surveillance.

• The Great Recession (2007–2009): I graduated high school just in time for an economic collapse that led to mass unemployment, foreclosures, and economic instability.

• Pandemics:

  • SARS (2003) and Swine Flu (2009) sparked public health fears

  • COVID-19 (2020–present) completely reshaped our lives, socially, economically, and emotionally

• First Trump Era (2016–2020): A global surge in authoritarianism, misogyny, and political chaos.

• Social Justice Movements:

  • The #MeToo Movement

  • The Black Lives Matter movement reignited in 2020 after George Floyd’s murder

  • The ongoing work of intersectional feminism and queer and trans advocacy in the face of escalating hate

• Residential School Graves (2021–present): As an Indigenous woman whose great-grandmother attended one, this one hurts on a personal level. Over 1,800 unmarked graves (and counting) have been uncovered at former residential schools, forcing a people to finally acknowledge Canada’s violent history.

• Now — 2025:

  • Multiple global wars and genocides (Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Congo, and more)

  • Rising far-right extremism, racism, and anti-LGBTQIA+ hatred

  • Soaring inflation, unlivable wages, and worsening economic inequality in Canada, the U.S., and beyond

That’s a lot to have experienced by 35 years old.

It’s no wonder so many of us feel completely drained, sometimes even shut off, and unsure how to process everything that’s happening in the world.

But, I want you to know this: You are not selfish for taking care of yourself and wanting a good life, even in times of uncertainty, fear, and hardship.

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It’s easy to fall into the mindset that it’s selfish, especially when you think about all the horrible things going on in the world. How can I focus on my goals, my health, my happiness, when people are literally being murdered? When there are so many people who are suffering?

But sitting around feeling bad doesn’t help anyone.

The best way to help is by being resourced and being well! When we take care of ourselves, we have more to offer - more money, more time, more energy, more creativity, and more presence to give to the people and the causes that matter to us.

So, please, let’s take care of ourselves and each other.

Here’s a little list of things I do for my overall wellness.

Ways to Take Care of Yourself Right Now

• Spend time out in nature (preferably, on, in, or near the water!)

• Journal regularly

• Gentle movement - walks, yoga, dancing for fun

• EFT tapping

• Therapy or counselling

• Limit social media and doom-scrolling - especially news accounts when it gets to be too much

• Watch funny or inspiring movies/TV shows

• Eat nourishing foods

• Get a good night’s sleep

• Spend time with loved ones

• Find small ways to save money, give, or invest

• Spend intentionally and with awareness (support ethical and small businesses)

• Volunteer your time to the causes that matter to you, if you have the time, because it actually feels really good

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I’ve had people leave comments like, “Who cares?! The world is burning!” or or tell me that what I post doesn’t matter when there’s a genocide happening. And while I understand where those feelings come from, here’s the thing: There is no “right” way to live in this messed up world, and shaming people for simply trying to exist and find joy in life isn’t helping anyone.

Remember, taking care of yourself IS resistance. Joy IS medicine. You MATTER. And yes, you are still allowed to want a beautiful life and to share the things that light you up.

So if you’re reading this, I’d love to hear from you! What’s lighting you up lately? What are you doing to take care of yourself?

Love,
Cole