People in many spiritual communities and traditions reflect often that all beings on the planet are connected. No matter how close or distant a mass event might be from you, it affects you. This notion includes both joyous events and tragedies.

This is certainly true about the current tragedies in Turkey and Syria. As of this post, the toll on human lives has surpassed 36,000, with thousands more critically injured and even more displaced. There is little doubt that, in this community of spiritually aware and otherwise highly sensitive people, many of you are feeling the shock and continuing aftershocks.

Take time soon for self-reflection. How are you doing physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? You might be affected in any or all of those realms by the magnitude of this mass event… even though it is physically happening on the other side of the planet.

How are you doing? You might feel strangely lightheaded or unusually confused and unable to focus your thinking around even simple scheduling and tasks. Perhaps you are overly emotional, even about things that might not have affected you before. You might also be experiencing sleeplessness or difficult dreams. Are your previous traumas and memories of traumatic events coming to life?

Any and all of these may be signs that the waves of shock and grief are reaching you from all of your connections far away. And we are ALL connected.

The effects of this tragedy are going to be long-term. Now is the time to take stock of your energy and reserves. It is time to be gentle with yourself and with others – perhaps especially those with whom you are close. They are all feeling it, too, even if they do not recognize it or have the internal emotional scaffolding to support the weight of what they are sensing.

It is also time to lean into your family and community support system. Remember, you are not alone in any sense of the word, even if you feel isolated. Take time to breathe and reconnect to the support systems around you. That’s what they are for.

And if you do have the emotional and energetic reserves, remember to be there for those around you. Being a part of the community support system is also healing for you. We will all get through this together.

Note on image: Seen here is the devastation in Hatay, Turkey.
Credit: Getty Images via CNET.com article on being careful when making donations.