logo

From Devastation to Balance

Susan Porter • December 29, 2024

Don’t you wish there was an instruction sheet that explained how to cope with the collapse of our world?

Sure, I can find plenty of commentary on blogs and social media about how to prep and find the best place to live, etc. But what do I do with my emotional turmoil?


There are many ways to proceed after recognizing the world as I know it is coming to an end. I have found the collective wisdom of a support group to be the most effective tool for me to achieve balance, clarity, and purpose. I like to think of the process as five stations on a spiraling path from fear and grief to love in action:


  1. Fear – Facing the reality of our predicament.
  2. Grief – Learning to process all of my emotions to achieve a condition of stability and functionality. Then practicing self-regulation of emotions to maintain stability.
  3. Acceptance – Making the decision to let go of my resistance to reality – giving up the fight! Then I experience the humility that comes when I see what is and is not in my control.
  4. Possibility – Gaining perspective and clarity about my own life in relation to collapse. What matters most to me and who do I want to be?
  5. Love in Action – Finding a meaningful way to live my life fully, while being a blessing to others.


As I find the courage to face this harsh reality, I continue to explore the best way of moving forward on my journey to collapsing well and being the “calm in the storm.” My path on this journey will be unique to me. Some days I quickly move to love in action. Other days I spiral through these stations again and again until I gain the strength to move on.


I started out believing humans would figure out a way to live on this world without destroying it. Gradually, I became convinced that there wasn’t any way for eight billion humans to live on Earth without compromising the biosphere that supports our ability to live here. We are not immune from the consequences of our actions. But with the support of the collapse-aware community and a power greater than myself, I can continue find purpose and joy one day at a time.


Image: “Progression”, watercolor and ink by Susan Porter. Prints available here.

These stories contain the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Collapse Club members or conveners.

Discuss this post!

If you would like to comment on or discuss this post with others, please join the Collapse Club Facebook Group.

Visit our Facebook Group for interesting links and light-hearted discussion. Check out the Glimmer Chat!

Photo of large, old tree stump with sapling spouting out of the middle of it.

Why Young People Will Not Be Joining Us

By Robert Mitchell • February 16, 2025
Having participated in groups like Collapse Club and Death Cafe, and having run my own group Planet Titanic Human Extinction Café, it’s hard not to notice how few people under the age of 30 join us in these forums. After all, like us, many if not most of them are aware of the societal collapse and human extinction which are close at hand.
photo of frog in pine tree

Searching for THE ANSWER

By Zoe Leach • January 31, 2025
I was born in 1985, at 345.72 ppm of carbon to two middle-class artist parents. As a child of the nineties, I remember learning about the Amazon rainforest and being totally captivated by it, and then feeling the concomitant horror when I learned about the slash and burn agriculture that was destroying it. I wanted to stop this destruction, but of course was helpless to do so.
photo of a dandelion letting go of it's seeds in the wind

Giving-Up verses Letting-Go

By David McHugh • January 6, 2025
In the world we call Collapse, there are few distinctions more confused and misunderstood than the difference between 'giving-up' and 'letting-go.' These phrases may seem similar at the surface, but represent fundamentally different approaches to life's challenges, personal growth, and emotional healing.
Share by: