Are you chaining one problem after another? You are going through a “permacrisis”

Do you feel lately that you never get out of one crisis and enter another? As if your life were hopelessly trapped in some sort of endless loop of problems, stress and difficult decisions.

We live in a fast-paced, uncertain world, where personal problems and external demands pile up without respite. This can lead to a feeling of constant exhaustion, where every “solution” seems to give way to a new problem.

That feeling of uncertainty and constant exhaustion, the inability to find respite in the midst of chaos, has a name: individual permacrisis.

What is a permacrisis?

In 2022, when the world was just emerging from the pandemic, a war broke out in the heart of Europe as inflation soared. A term was coined to refer to this global chaos: permacrisis. Collins Dictionary chose it as the “word of the year.”

Permacrisis refers to a long period of instability and insecurity, as a result of negative, extreme and catastrophic events. However, what was a social phenomenon may have ended up permeating the lives of many people, creating a series of challenges that seem to have no end. In such cases, the crisis – which should be a one-time event – ​​ends up becoming a permanent situation.

The signs that reveal that you are going through a permacrisis and its consequences

We live in an era marked by constant uncertainty. From economic crises to social changes and personal difficulties, everything seems to conspire to keep us on alert, creating the feeling that problems are linked to one another.

The permacrisis at the individual level manifests itself in different ways:

• Feeling exhausted. Problems drain your mental and physical energy because it seems like you can never do enough.
• Hypervigilance. You are in a state of constant alert, always waiting for the next problem to knock on your door.
• Constant dissatisfaction. In an environment of permanent crisis, achievements lose their meaning because your attention is focused on new problems and what remains to be done.

Obviously, that state will end up taking its toll on you at different levels:

• Emotional level. Permacrisis often generates a state of anxiety, a feeling of emotional overwhelm and, in extreme cases, even depression.
• Interpersonal level. The exhaustion intrinsic to permacrisis can lead to isolation or frequent conflicts with those closest to us, mainly due to irritability and difficulties in managing emotions.
• Physical level. The prolonged stress generated by a permacrisis ends up deteriorating the quality of sleep, causes muscle tension and can trigger health problems through somatization.

This cycle can be especially dangerous because it reinforces an internal narrative of “it’s never enough” or “no matter what I do, nothing will change,” making it even more difficult to break out of. It therefore often leads to a state of apathy and paralysis fueled by learned helplessness.

Breaking the cycle: psychological strategies to get out of these crises once and for all

“There is no evil that lasts a hundred years, nor a body that can resist it,” says a popular saying. Getting out of a permacrisis is not so easy, but neither is it impossible. There are ways to break this pattern and regain emotional control. How?

1. Accepting uncertainty. When things go according to plan, they reinforce our perception of control. Crises are characterized by a high degree of uncertainty and instability. They show us more clearly that we really do not know for sure what will happen tomorrow. This destabilizes us emotionally because it takes away our usual anchors. In contrast, accepting that uncertainty is part of life will help us mitigate the emotional impact of crises.
2. Embrace change. Life is change. Some is small and cumulative, but others are drastic. Crises often come with major fluctuations that often unanchor our most deeply held beliefs, opening the door to the improbable. That, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. Understanding that nothing is immutable and learning to flow with transformations will help us better navigate crises, preventing them from destabilizing us too much.
3. See the positive side. It sounds cliché, but the vast majority of crises bring with them the seeds of opportunity. The problem is that when we are immersed in them, it is difficult for us to see them. Adopting a certain psychological distance from what worries us will help us to see it from another perspective. We could also ask ourselves: how can I take advantage of what is happening? Perhaps it will help you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes to see the crisis from a more detached perspective and find the opportunities it can offer you.
4. Be proactive and decisive. Crises often cause paralysis. The world becomes so chaotic and confusing that we don’t know what to decide or how to act. This can cause problems to multiply and we can end up with one crisis after another. On the other hand, assuming a proactive attitude and being decisive will allow us to distance ourselves from the situation that makes us uncomfortable or causes us discomfort. Therefore, ask yourself what you can do here and now to solve what worries you or at least feel better. You probably won’t be able to solve the problem in one fell swoop, but at least you will be taking steps in the right direction. Often that is more than enough to feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
5. Practice self-care. In the midst of a crisis, it’s normal for the whirlwind of events to drag us down. However, when we have one crisis after another, it’s important to pay more attention to ourselves. Even though it’s difficult, we should try to do activities that relax us and incorporate habits that nourish our mind and body consistently. This will allow us to find balance even in the midst of chaos and regain strength to face the next day.

Falling into a state of permacrisis can feel like a dead end, but it doesn’t have to be. Recognizing that we are stuck in that situation is the first step to getting out of it. Remember that change can be scary and uncertainty uncomfortable, but in changing times when many things are out of your control, investing in yourself to create a “strong ego” will allow you to better face those storms and emerge stronger from them.