54. Disconnecting, numbing out, and disassociating isn’t what we need, especially in the long run.

Written By Steff Gallante

Friends, we are having to endure too much these days, both in our individual lives and collectively. And if you, like me, are finding it to be increasingly harder and harder to cope in the world, then, this episode is for you. And I hope you get from it a bit of what you need. 

I’m hearing from people that they’re feeling numb, disconnected, distressed, grief, overwhelm, anger, exhaustion, anxiety, and so much in between. We all have our own ways of dealing with all that is present while living in our current times, and some coping mechanisms I’m hearing pretty consistently these days is disconnecting from things we normally do and enjoy, or spending more time than usual getting caught up in things that totally suck up our time or even purposely numbing out through those things that suck up our time (like aimlessly scrolling), or in some instances, disassociating, which is the mental process of disconnecting from our thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity. 

It’s possible you’re finding yourself doing some or all of the above. No shame, friends. It makes sense because continuing to be in a state of chronic stress with one stressful episode piling on top of another is super dysregulating and we’re not meant to deal with multiple distressing things at once for long periods of time. So, we end up coping by disconnecting, numbing and disassociating so that we can simply show up to our responsibilities and be some semblance of a human. 

But the hard truth is: none of these coping mechanisms help anything in the long run. They don’t stop the genocide or oppression. They don’t help us deal with what we’re experiencing in a sustainable way. In reality, what these coping mechanisms do is allow us to slide further down the rabbit hole of overwhelm and despair. It fuels further dysregulation and disconnection from ourselves and each other. It fuels reactionary behavior rather than thought-out responses.

So what we really need to understand is: Our needs, our desires, this picture we have of how we know life can be for ourselves, our communities, and for others around the world NEED US TO NOT COPE IN THESE WAYS.

Ending genocide and other injustice and oppression that’s happening around the world and in our communities requires us to NOT disconnect from ourselves and each other, numb out, or disassociate from it all.

It requires us to COME BACK TO OURSELVES and go all in on our self-love practices. 

In this episode, I discuss a variety of practices and mindset shifts to do just that. 

Jump in for all of the goodness!

Steff Gallante
Previous

55. Keys for summer harmony amidst the world’s dumpster fire
Next

53. Inner spring cleaning