How do I cope with the emotional upset around me and not be affected by it?

Why, when I’m focused on staying calm, out of the fray, and emotionally neutral, do I feel on edge and sometimes get drawn in?

In this year of unusual events, upheaval, and political divisiveness, emotions are running higher than usual.

What’s going on when I experience irritation, frustration, and even anger, throughout my day?

Are these all my own emotions? Or are they someone else’s? And even if they’re someone else’s, why am I affected by them?

The following tale may help.

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In 2017, I was at rock-bottom financially, bank account at zero, savings gone dry, credit-cards close to maxed, and a roof over my head but no way to pay for it. I had sold my car the year before when I moved from Canada to Kansas City, in the US.

Two years prior, I had been a successful software developer but had grown to a point of emotional incompatibility with corporate subcultures and politics. And after two years out of the loop, I was rusty and unaware of the latest technological advances. A lot can happen in two years in the IT industry. All of my IT interviews had come up dry.

I was at a low point.

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