How Are You Doing? Really?
As an integrative health and wellness coach, I begin many sessions with a simple question: How are you doing? Increasingly, the answer comes with a pause. A sigh. Tears. Or a quiet admission of anxiety, depression, exhaustion, or a growing loss of hope. I’m seeing this not only in my clients, but in friends and family members as well.
There is a heaviness in the air that feels hard to ignore.
The events unfolding in our country and across the world are amplifying discord, fear, and anger. Messages of might, power, and dominance often drown out voices of compassion and cooperation. Our political system, rather than uniting us around shared values and care for one another, too often pits citizens against each other—framing differences as threats instead of opportunities for understanding. It’s no wonder so many people feel overwhelmed and disconnected.
In times like these, tending to our own wellbeing is not selfish—it is essential.
Surrounding ourselves with supportive people, moving our bodies, spending time outdoors, and practicing mindfulness can help steady our nervous systems and restore a sense of grounding. These practices remind us that we are human beings, not just consumers of headlines or participants in endless debates.
And yet, this moment also calls us beyond ourselves.
Each of us has the capacity to inject a little more goodness and light into the world—by extending a hand when someone is struggling, by offering a genuine smile, by setting aside judgment in favor of curiosity. As Gandhi and others have reminded us, we are invited to be the change we wish to see in our world.
Astronauts who have lived aboard the space station often describe a profound shift in perspective. From space, they don’t see borders, skin color, or political divisions. They see one beautiful, fragile planet—intricately connected, alive, and whole. We are all part of that same system.
