There is nothing more horrific than hearing about violence, especially because such heinous acts are so senseless and unnecessary. My heart goes out to all the victims and families of victims whose lives were taken this weekend during the Orlando club shooting. I am nearly speechless writing this and completely horrified by the state of the world – questioning our safety and wondering when this type of cruelty will stop. While many news sites continue to report the play-by-play updates of this awful tragedy, I stumbled upon an article recently shared by Mind Body Green: 5 Mental Health Experts On How To Process Unfathomable Tragedy.
I happened to find this article just when I needed it – when I couldn’t process any more news about this horrible act – and I am hoping it helps you too. From learning to focus on the good in the world to gaining an understanding that we may not ever be able to wrap our heads around acts of violence, this article truly helped put things into perspective. Keep reading for a few highlights that stuck with me and read the full article here.
“Whenever people act out or bad things happen in the world, I remind myself that there are also millions upon millions of acts of kindness that we will probably never hear about, and that there is still plenty of goodness happening in the world too.” -Light Watkins, Meditation Practitioner & Teacher.
“It is easy to become numb to horrific stories like these that we see on the news. We do not like to think about death, especially random, unpreventable death. So, in order to avoid thinking about death we mentally explain how this could not happen to us (i.e. I do not live in Oregon, I do not attend college, I would have known how to stay safe in this situation). It is vital that we remember that this could happen to us and the only way to limit this possibility is to bring about change on a societal level. The best way to honor the lives of the 10 people is to use this tragedy to create social change through the most powerful voice you have: your vote.” -Erin Davidson, Recent Psychology Graduate
“The most important thing we need to do is to send compassion to the affected families. It’s also important to reach out to others for comfort. No one can manage this alone.”-Margaret Paul, Therapist
When random acts of violence strike our world, especially so close to home – processing it can be incredibly tough. Whether you’re trying to wrap your head around the why behind such an act or you’re just incredibly saddened by such an event, finding ways to help process is essential. My love, prayers and heart goes out anyone affected by this horrendous tragedy.
