Anxious Reader Needs Help Feeling Safe
DEAR HARRIETTE: Lately, my anxiety has been keeping me up at night, scaring me away from windows, crowded places, public transportation and tall buildings, and causing excessive overthinking. With recent developments between the United States and countries like Iran, I am afraid all the time. Social media doesn't help by simply mocking all this serious political unrest with memes joking about World War III. It makes everything feel more chaotic and unpredictable.
I find myself constantly checking the news for updates, then regretting it because it sends me into a spiral of worst-case scenarios. My friends tell me I'm overreacting, but the fear feels real in my body. How do I stay informed without becoming consumed by anxiety? How can I ground myself when the world feels unstable? I don't want to live in fear, but I'm struggling to feel safe. -- At War
DEAR AT WAR: Your feelings are normal. The world is in chaos right now, and there's a tremendous amount of uncertainty about everyone's health and safety. It would be abnormal for you to be nonchalant about these times. That said, you don't want to let these circumstances consume you.
Here's where spiritual practice and generally tending to your body can be helpful. Remember to breathe deeply, especially when you are feeling anxious. Meditate or pray, and ask for blessings for yourself, your loved ones and the world. Connect with people you love. Talk about uplifting topics. Don't dwell on things you cannot control.
In terms of paying attention to the news, check in with a reliable news source each morning so you have a sense of what's going on in the world. Don't check before you go to bed. Keep pleasant thoughts top of mind then.
DEAR HARRIETTE: Recently, my 13-year-old stepson and his friend were hanging out at my house after school. When I popped into my stepson's room to check on them, I caught them with an inappropriate magazine -- XXX content, if you know what I mean? When I tried to press them, his friend claimed that the magazine was his and that my stepson had no clue that he'd brought it. Honestly, I can't tell if that's the truth or if he's covering for my stepson. I asked them where they got it, and they refused to tell me. I spoke to my husband about it, and he downplayed it with a sort of "boys will be boys" philosophy and said he would speak to them about this phase. I still feel obligated to speak with the other boy's mother, but my husband says I shouldn't blow it out of proportion. Should I defy my husband in the interest of the other parent? -- Boys Will Be Boys
DEAR BOYS WILL BE BOYS: I am siding with your husband on this. It doesn't matter where they got the magazine. Teenage boys sneaking to look at pornography is almost a rite of passage. They are doing it the old-school way. These days, children younger than them have access to online pornography, including graphic videos.
Begin to have conversations about sexuality, honoring the body and the difference between pornography and intimacy. Your husband should start these conversations. If you bring it up to the other parents, do so from the perspective that it's time to talk to children about sex rather than finding the culprit who gave them the magazine.
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(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
Copyright 2026, Harriette Cole
COPYRIGHT 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication. This feature may not be reproduced or distributed electronically, in print or otherwise without the written permission of Andrews McMeel Syndication.
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