Living Anyway: Finding Comfort in Uncertain Times
DISCLAIMER: This post is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care or medical advice. Reading this does not create a therapist–client relationship. If you are in crisis or need immediate help, contact 988.
Lately, I’ve been finding it harder than usual to stay grounded.
Between the political climate, ongoing social tension, and stories of real people experiencing real suffering, it sometimes feels like the world is constantly asking for our emotional attention. I notice this especially when I’m trying to be present with my son—reading bedtime stories, making breakfast, laughing at something silly—while part of my mind is quietly holding worry about the future he’s growing up in.
And sometimes, that creates guilt.
I’ll catch myself thinking:
Should I be more upset right now?
Should I be more emotionally engaged with what’s happening?
Is it wrong to enjoy small moments when so much feels broken?
If you’ve ever felt torn between staying informed and staying emotionally well—between caring deeply and protecting your mental health—you’re not alone.
This tension has been showing up in my own life lately, and it’s something many people I work with talk about, too. How do we stay connected to the world without becoming overwhelmed by it? How do we care without burning out?
One perspective that’s been helpful for me recently comes from an unexpected place: philosophy—specifically, a philosophy called Absurdism.
Side Note:
I’m not a philosopher, these are my amateur musings about Absurdism and generated from a casual conversation I was having with my husband. I greatly appreciated the conversation and found it helpful, so I wanted to share the topic here and my hope is to further the conversation for those who could benefit from it. So please take it with a grain of salt, and I’m hoping these ideas will inspire you to do some additional exploration yourself about Absurdism and Existentialism.
What Is Absurdism?
Absurdism is most closely associated with the philosopher and writer Albert Camus. At its core, it starts with a very honest observation:
We want life to make sense.
Life does not promise that it will.
We want fairness. We want clear explanations. We want suffering to “mean something.” But often, it doesn’t. Sometimes painful things happen without reason. Sometimes injustice goes unanswered. Sometimes life feels deeply unfair. Camus called this tension the absurd. Not because life is silly—but because there’s a mismatch between what we hope for and what reality offers.
What I appreciate about Absurdism is that it doesn’t try to smooth this over with false comfort.
It doesn’t say:
“Everything happens for a reason.”
“Just stay positive.”
“Don’t think about it.”
Instead, it says:
Yes, this is hard.
Yes, this is painful.
Yes, this is unfair sometimes.
And still—you can choose to live fully.
You can choose to care.
You can choose to love.
You can choose to keep showing up.
Not because it’s easy.
Because it matters to you.
Why This Feels So Relevant Right Now
In times of political and social uncertainty, many people feel emotionally overloaded. We’re exposed to more suffering than ever before, often in real time, through our phones and screens.
Over time, this can quietly create beliefs like:
“If I’m not constantly worried, I’m being careless.”
“If I’m calm, I’m ignoring reality.”
“If I’m okay, I must not care enough.”
I notice these thoughts in myself. There are moments when I’m enjoying something simple—being outside, talking with a friend, watching my son play—and suddenly a voice in my head says, “Should you really be feeling okay right now?”
Absurdism offers another way of looking at this. It suggests that choosing to live well is not a denial of suffering but rather it’s a response to it.
You are allowed to care deeply and still laugh.
You are allowed to feel sad and still feel grateful.
You are allowed to stay informed and still protect your emotional energy.
These things do not cancel each other out.
They coexist.
Meaningful and Meaningless at the Same Time
One of the ideas I keep returning to is this:
Life can be meaningful and meaningless at the same time.
On a big-picture level, there may be no ultimate explanation for why things unfold the way they do. No guaranteed justice. No neat resolution. On a personal level, though, your relationships matter. Your values matter. Your kindness matters. Your presence matters. Absurdism doesn’t ask us to choose between these truths but rather, it invites us to hold both.
This “both/and” way of thinking is something I often see helping people move through anxiety and discouragement. When we allow space for sadness without letting it define everything, life becomes more livable.
We can acknowledge reality without being crushed by it.
Connections to Mental Health and Therapy
In my work with clients—and in my own life—I often see how powerful it can be to hold two truths at once with the “both/and” thinking. Here we are talking about holding many conflicting beliefs, and I think many of them can be simplified to:
Things are really hard.
And I am still capable of coping and growing.
This is a core idea in therapies like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Dialectical Thinking (DBT)
DBT addresses this concept directly. It emphasizes balancing the following things:
Life is painful
And life is still worth living
I accept reality
And I’m still working to change what I can
This mirrors the Absurdist perspective: fully acknowledging what is, while continuing to engage with life in meaningful ways.
Cognitive Flexibility (CBT)
CBT focuses on noticing and gently challenging black-and-white or self-critical thoughts, such as:
“I should be doing more to fix these problems.”
“Not getting involved means I don’t care.”
“I should feel guilty for enjoying things because there are so many people in pain right now.”
These thoughts usually come from empathy and concern. They mean you care. But when they go unchecked, they can quietly drain your emotional reserves through self-judgement and creating a false narrative that it’s either one or the other. Absurdism offers a helpful counter narrative:
You don’t have to suffer constantly to prove that you care.
You’re allowed to rest.
You’re allowed to feel okay.
You’re allowed to take breaks from worry.
A Quiet Form of Resistance
Albert Camus talked about “revolt,” but not in a loud or dramatic way.
More like this:
Getting up and living anyway.
Caring anyway.
Showing up anyway.
Loving anyway.
When I think about Absurdism now, I think about ordinary moments:
Packing lunches.
Returning phone calls.
Listening carefully.
Doing my work with integrity.
Being emotionally present.
Making space for joy.
In an unfair world, these things are not small.
They are meaningful.
They are ways of saying: I will not let despair decide how I live.
Staying Engaged Without Burning Out
One of the hardest things right now is how to stay connected to what’s happening in the world without becoming emotionally exhausted by it. Honestly, I tend to just check out because I’m not sure how to balance it.
Absurdism doesn’t ask us to disconnect.
It asks us to stay awake—without drowning.
How I’m trying to achieve this:
Being informed, but setting limits on news intake
Caring, without carrying everything alone by acknowledging what you can’t control
Taking action where you can
Resting when you need to
Returning to what matters most to you
Choosing to Live Anyway
Absurdism doesn’t promise that things will get easier.
What it offers is quieter—and often more sustainable:
You can live honestly without giving up.
You can acknowledge how painful life can be and still participate in it.
You can worry about the future and still show up for today.
You can feel powerless at times and still matter deeply.
For me, this perspective has become an anchor.
It reminds me that I don’t need perfect answers in order to live a meaningful life.
My presence matters.
My care matters.
My small choices matter.
Even when the world feels uncertain.
A Gentle Invitation
If any part of this reflection connects with something you’re navigating right now, I hope you’ll know you’re not alone. Many people are quietly carrying similar questions, worries, and mixed emotions.
And if at some point you’d like additional support, you’re always welcome to reach out.
You don’t have to carry everything by yourself. You’re not failing at caring because you’re still living. You’re human.
And sometimes, choosing to live anyway is one of the bravest things we do.
About the Author
Cora Taylor, LMFT, is a licensed therapist in California specializing in therapy for high-achieving adults struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout. She provides virtual and in-person therapy in Roseville and virtually statewide.
References & Further Reading
Beck, Judith S. Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond. 3rd ed., Guilford Press, 2020.
Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus. Translated by Justin O’Brien, Vintage International, 1991.
Camus, Albert. The Plague. Translated by Stuart Gilbert, Vintage International, 1991.
Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Translated by Matthew Ward, Vintage International, 1989.
Frankl, Viktor E. Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press, 2014.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. “Albert Camus.”https://iep.utm.edu/camus/.
Linehan, Marsha M. Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. Guilford Press, 1993.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. “Existentialism.”https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/.
