This year has lived up to its expected craziness and then some. But the most chaotic part is yet to come. The war and its worsening oil crisis that threatens to crash the global economy. Midterm elections and public figures who know losing power means facing prosecution, so they will do anything to win. Tech CEOs realizing AI is getting out of control while failing to deliver the financial and productivity benefits they claimed. All of these point to growing instability and the increased risk of catastrophe.

How do we cope with the chaos we know is coming? As someone who has gone through my own troubled times, I’ve learned several tips that can help.

1. Stay calm.

Our natural reaction when confronted with horrible news is to panic. I fell into that trap in November 2024 when I was ready to give up on my dreams. I still regret backing out of the panels for the 50th anniversary Loscon in 2024, and I haven’t been invited back since. I should have learned my lesson from when my life was in danger that night working at that Carl’s Jr. By staying calm, my coworkers and I survived that ordeal.

When shocking things happen, it doesn’t help to get on social media and cry, “We’re cooked!” For starters, it’s hard to get accurate information from any form of media. You need to look for the details and nuance that lies past the clickbait. The situation might not be that bad, or there might be some way to avoid the problem. You can’t find those details when you’re panicking.

By staying calm, you can assess the situation, find out what’s actually happening, and avoid doing something rash that makes things worse. You also gain an advantage over adversaries who count on you giving up or rushing into their trap.

2. Take inventory.

When you face a loss, consider the Five of Cups card in tarot. Instead of focusing on what’s gone, look at what you still have.

This isn’t limited to material things. Look at the people you have around you. Your skills. Who can help you? What knowledge do you have that is beneficial? What can you fix or create? You may have long dormant abilities you’ve set aside for years. This is the time to put them to use.

3. Help others.

The first place to put those skills and resources to use is by helping others. This offers a number of benefits besides giving aid to those in need.

First, it overcomes your sense of powerlessness. When you help others, you realize there are things you can do. You’re not helpless if you’re helping someone else.

Second, it builds community. Offering mutual aid builds trust and strengthens communal bonds. Adversaries use the “divide and conquer” approach. They seek to turn us against each other so we’re easier to dominate or destroy. But by standing together, we build a strong resistance. When we depend on each other, we are much harder to control.

4. Take care of yourself.

As we help others, we can’t neglect our own basic needs. We need food, water, shelter, and rest. We also need to take care of mental health so we can stay strong and focused. Share, but don’t deprive yourself to the point you become a casualty as well. Fight, but allow yourselves time to breathe. Take in the beauty of nature. Spend some time talking to a friend. The mental break will refresh you and remind you of what you’re fighting for.

5. Recognize better days will come.

Every tyrant in history has fallen. So will this one. That hope should keep you going through whatever rough times are ahead. It also helps to imagine what better times will look like. During difficult times, people turn to utopian science fiction, HEA (happily ever after) romances, and horror and adventure stories where the villain is defeated. Find whatever uplifts your spirits, offers hope, and gives you a break from doomscrolling. No matter how long the tunnel is, there is a light at the end of it.

6. Until then, get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

If we go back a few years, we can remember having to wear face masks, wash our hands for 20 seconds, and forgo our typical dinners out. Because of the discomfort, we survived the pandemic. Those who couldn’t tolerate any inconvenience typically wound up getting infected. If they recovered, they may face long-term effects we won’t know about for years.

Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable gives us the strength to make the right choices. We are willing to sacrifice pleasures so we can preserve the necessities. We exercise patience so we don’t make hasty and dangerous decisions. When we bear discomfort, we become stronger. No pain, no gain, as they always say.

We must brace ourselves for whatever happens in the coming months, but we do it without panicking. That’s because we know we still have people and resources, an ability to help while taking care of ourselves, and the hope that better days will come. Whatever happens in the rest of 2026 and beyond, we’ll be ready to deal with it and create the better world when the hard times pass.