Meltdown 2007 - Individuals, Groups and the Planet

While the holiday season is supposed to be full of good cheer...OK let me start that one over again with something a bit more realistic like -

Why is the holiday season so difficult? That's the question that most people have been asking me whether in session or via email or phone, I even got an "aaaaargh" text. Nothing else just "argh". I understood completely. Sometimes, to misquote the lyrics, "argh is all you need".

Everyone has their own specific reasons for finding some elements of the holiday season difficult. For some people the shopping for gifts brings on hives, for some the too-much-togetherness can trigger anxiety, resentment and/or unresolved anger, for some the memory of lost loved ones can elicit tears and seasonal depression.

Throw in a dollop of relentless cheeriness coming at you from all sides, ruminating on the year that's on its way out and formulating resolutions for the coming year. This year I will definitely ___________ and I must ___________. Now I may not be a big one for cooking but what you've got there is a sure recipe for a meltdown.

But being me I couldn't let it go at that - there was something niggling at the back of my mind because 2007 seemed to bring out more meltdown situations and feelings in people than the previous few years. So I asked myself the question....what is going on? Beyond the usual meltdowns which can happen and invariably do at some point or another. That's just life - sometimes it all happens too fast/too much/too slow/too too/too _____.

I had a couple of thoughts regarding technology overload, society, delayed post 9/11 reactions, PTSD in returning soldiers, changing culture and norms and more....and they all made sense. Then I did a google search for "meltdown 2007" and this article from Science News Portrait of a Meltdown which describes the arctic meltdown of 2007 came up. Apparently, the ice meltdown in the Arctic this year is the largest ever. Hmmmmm - is there a connection?

I think there is. I'm a firm believer that we're all creatures of the planet (not to mention habit, learning, etc.) and when something is affecting our earth it effects us. How about this? Last week I was walking down the block in my neighborhood in Brooklyn and I saw two raccoons taking a little walk. Raccoons!! And no, they're not usually in the neighborhood. And during the last few years tropical birds have made their homes in the trees around here too. Something is going on around us and it affects us.

So if you're having your own meltdown - there are ways to deal with it depending on the circumstance. But pay attention to the meltdowns around you.
Are the people around you melting down and that's causing you to feel meltdown-prone?
Is the societal cheeriness and meltdown causing you extra anxiety or meltdown-y feelings?

Try and figure out which elements are your personal meltdown and which are coming at you from the outside. The external elements can affect you but if you're aware of them and prepare for them, you can find yourself sailing through the holidays with good feelings and optimism for the new year. (Of course there might still be some negative thoughts or feelings - you are human.)

Meanwhile - a quick soapbox moment - let's all figure out what we can do individually and as a country/planet to save our nature. Literally.

Enjoy the day!
RK