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Dear Kiantha: Activate your faith to manage fears about war

Dear Kiantha,

I wake up thinking about nuclear war. The images of war in the news are overwhelmingly disturbing, and I cannot stop thinking about a nuclear war on U.S. soil. I am afraid for those of us who are not wealthy and won’t have access to things like bunkers, stock piled food or the ability to leave the country if things get really bad. What are we going to do?

Dear Friend,

Breathing is what we must do first. Simply inhale and exhale until we gain control of our breath. Many of us walk around during times of fear, anxiety and uncertainty holding our breath. We subconsciously brace ourselves for the negative thing we are in fear of. The bracing of our bodies causes tension in our head, shoulders and, often, abdomen. Tension in our bodies is exasperated by events like looming war. The thought of a nuclear war on U.S. soil and what that could mean for our country is really unimaginable.

I have found myself with just as much fear and anxiety over the wars taking place on foreign soil – the lives lost, innocent people displaced and the horror of it all in the lives of the young and the old.

The second thing we must do is to remain anchored to our faith and the things that we hold as truths. If you are a person of faith, pray for our country and our military forces as they are called to protect our country from threats of violence and danger.

Pray for those who are under resourced and who would be most impacted by nuclear war on U.S. soil.

Your concerns about access to safety are valid. I wonder about the safety of my own family, so I understand and empathize with you.

Unfortunately, we as the average citizens are not the deciders of war. We are supporters of the leaders of our country but, in many cases, our individual fears are not enough to influence national decisions, so we find ourselves in a more reactive role to national and world affairs like war.

This is all extremely scary and you are not alone in your fear. Be kind to yourself during these uncertain times. Hold tightly to your faith and those you love. We are all in this together.

Soul to soul,

Kiantha

Dear Kiantha can be read Fridays in The Spokesman-Review. To submit a question, email DearKiantha@gmail.com.

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