I hate to admit it, but I think I come from a long line of glass-is-half-empty-ites. My grandmother Maxine looked and acted like the Hallmark greeting card character Maxine, with funny, irreverent sayings. She used to tell me, “When life hands you lemons, suck on them.” I didn’t know what that meant, but it struck me as negative and not particularly helpful. 

All that being said, with daily domestic and world chaos and economic uncertainty in the news, as well as seemingly conflicting news depending on the source, I find myself thinking of worst-case scenarios and becoming anxious. I talked about my anxiety at the end of 2024, and how I didn’t intend to let it get the best of me, so it’s hard to admit I’m in this place again. But I am—and I will likely find myself in this same place in the future too.

So, I found this month’s article Leslie Davenport on Resiliency and Creative Action in the Face of Climate Change timely and comforting. A licensed marriage and family therapist, Davenport breaks down the levels of fear and provides suggestions for how to prevent it from escalating. Her advice strikes me as a template for addressing fear in any situation. She suggests that the beginning phase of fear, worry, can be motivating in that it leads you to put a plan in place of things you can do to address your fear. Having coping strategies, such as a mindfulness practice, helps keep fear manageable. You don’t want it to progress to the point that you’re panicked or overwhelmed, states that are harder to effectively address.

Talking openly about your feelings is a start, Davenport says, and a proclivity to fear is biological in nature, as “our ancestors needed to pay attention to sources of danger for their survival.” No need to feel guilty.

Wishing you a happy month of Earth Day and constructively managing all your fears,

Shannon