A client recently shared a Guardian article that hit both of us like a lightning bolt of recognition. You know that feeling when someone finally puts words to something you’ve been sensing but couldn’t quite articulate?
The piece gave us language for the weirdness we’re all swimming in right now. And here’s the thing: if we can name it, we can tame it.
This isn’t about our breakneck pace numbing us to our emotions—I’ve written about that before. This is something different. Something more disorienting and unsettling. It’s the anger-inducing reality that civil liberties and basic human decency feel under constant assault.
People are fed up. “What’s really going on?” has become our collective refrain as we witness a full-scale upending of our way of life.
Since we’re masters at creating the stories we live in (what’s a conspiracy theory if not a wound-up story?), it’s tempting to fill the void with fiction. But let’s not do that. Let’s lean into wisdom instead of losing our hearts to fear.
The Power of Naming What We’re Living Through
What exactly is happening that feels so slippery, so hard to pin down? That ineffable sense that something’s fundamentally off-kilter?
Hypernormalization.
This beautifully awkward word, coined in 2005 to describe civilian life in Russia, captures two devastating dynamics:
- Governing systems and institutions visibly breaking apart.
- People—including leaders—pretending not to notice, steeling themselves in numbness or releasing anxiety into paranoia, pessimism, and powerlessness.
Why? Because they didn’t know what else to do.
Sound familiar? Welcome to America, 2025.
The Guardian article warns against anxiety’s seductive whisper: that “the only thing we have power over is ourselves.”
That belief leads to isolation and defeat.
Beyond Pretending: Two Paths Forward
So what’s the alternative to pretending everything’s fine while pessimism and paralysis creep in?
Wise teacher Pema Chödrön reminds us: “We have absolutely no tolerance for uncertainty… By learning to stay, we become very familiar with this place of groundlessness, and gradually, gradually it loses its threat.”
Instead of turning anxiety inward—shutting down because we’re feeling too much, or simply self-soothing our way through each day—we can choose action in two crucial areas:
Path One: Befriend Your Nervous System
Yes, a well-regulated nervous system provides crucial foundation. But this isn’t about fixing yourself like a broken project. It’s about recognizing:
- Overwhelm and anxiety as directional signs pointing you toward positive action.
- The choice to pause into presence—returning to your body, breathing into aliveness even amid chaos.
- Your capacity to stay with discomfort—the agitation, the uncertainty—even for just a second or two, expanding your resilience until clear seeing emerges.
Path Two: Remember Who You Are and Act Accordingly
- Reconnect with what you care about most deeply in your heart of hearts.
- Actively seek evidence of joy—spring flowers, a loved one’s expression, a stranger’s smile, gratitude for the breath sustaining you.
- Listen to someone without judgment, offering only your full presence.
- Choose decisive action, now—write your representative, join a postcard campaign, attend a protest, get involved locally.
- Move your energy toward what captures your heart. Notice moments of inherent aliveness and joy to fuel your commitment to action.
The Heart of Democracy
Terry Tempest Williams captures it perfectly:
“The human heart is the first home of democracy. It is where we embrace our questions. Can we be equitable? Can we be generous? Can we listen with our whole being, not just our minds, and offer our attention rather than our opinions? And do we have enough resolve in our hearts to act courageously, relentlessly, without giving up—ever—trusting our fellow citizens to join with us in our determined pursuit of a living democracy?”
Your Call to Action
These are not normal times. Let’s release the pretense of normality, take a breath into our hearts, and move into powerful action—together.
This week, choose one concrete action:
- Write to your representatives about an issue that matters to you.
- Join a local organization working for change.
- Have a real conversation with someone whose perspective differs from yours.
- Show up to a community meeting or peaceful gathering.
- Practice deep listening with someone in your life.
The antidote to hypernormalization isn’t pretending everything’s fine. It’s naming what’s happening, staying present with the discomfort, and taking meaningful action from a place of grounded heart-wisdom.
Your nervous system will thank you. Your community needs you. Democracy depends on you.
What’s your one action this week? Hit reply and tell me—let’s create accountability and momentum together. Reach me at DrChris@q4-consulting.com.