Beauty and Joy, Even When the World is Too Much

Constant exposure to news and social media expose us to suffering, corruption, violence, disasters, and uncertainty. We discuss, share our creative ideas, donate, volunteer, pray—until we’re emotionally exhausted or numb. We feel that we should be concerned, but it’s just too much all the time for too long a time. So sometimes we stay away from the news and seek entertainment, taking physical or mental vacations from the constant barrage of bad news. This isn’t selfishness or indifference—sometimes the mind and nervous system simply are overwhelmed.

The inevitable result of too much compassion for too long is a weakening of our nervous system—our capacity to care exceeds our capacity to recover. Some of us become cynical, some numb, some feel helpless and lack hope.

Herbert Freudenberger, the man who coined the word “burnout,” defined it as “the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.” 

When the world constantly demands compassion, burning out makes us feel disconnected. The solution is not to be less concerned, but to restore our inner resources that make compassion sustainable. By providing deep rest, reducing accumulated stress, and expanding our awareness, the Transcendental Meditation technique helps us reconnect with the world without being consumed by it. Going inward—not to escape the world, but to find our way back to it—is key.

Replenishing our inner resources

When we are barraged with images and news of troubles in the world, sensitivity can become a burden. When we are running on empty, every new challenge or tragedy can feel like one more weight we cannot carry. Or we become desensitized, as if we’ve heard it all before. When we are deeply rested and more resilient, we don’t become indifferent to suffering. We have more capacity to meet it with a clearer mind, more energy and greater creativity.

Transcendental Meditation allows the mind to settle inward toward quieter, more deeply restful levels of awareness. Correspondingly, the workload of the body decreases. The nervous system rests, throwing off fatigue and stress. Liberated from concrete boundaries of thought, the mind increases in silence and deepens into one’s own center, one’s true Self.

TM is a tool for a stronger connection.

The paradox: We sometimes have to transcend the world—not to escape from it, but to  regain the strength to participate in it. It’s like pulling an arrow back on a bow (instead of running toward the target with it) in order for it to fly with greatest accuracy and dynamism to the target.

Published peer-reviewed research studies show that Transcendental Meditation reduces stress, anxiety, compassion fatigue, and the effects of trauma. It increases brain coherence, cognitive function, emotional regulation, creativity, focus, and cardiovascular health. In his timely and compelling book, The Power of Caring, neuroscientist and physician Dr. Tony Nader writes, “When the nervous system becomes more regulated and less burdened by chronic stress, caring becomes easier to sustain, judgement becomes clearer, and resilience improves.”

So when we feel frustrated, angry, hopeless or just don’t care anymore, it isn’t a fait accompli. When our motivation is to do something and not just look away, the TM technique restores our inner resources. With regular daily practice of the TM technique, we find that we can stay informed without being overwhelmed. TM cultivates within us a place of quiet, rest, and renewal. We are more capable of distinguishing where we can genuinely help. We recover our sense of agency. And, with internal balance growing more each day, we find that we can even still appreciate beauty and joy in the world.

About the Author

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