Idk about you but for me a lot of the stress was because i didn’t know what i would do. So i figured it out.

If i woke up tomorrow and WW3 had started, supply chains had collapsed, etc. I’d grab my handheld radio, 20$ Baofeng UV-5RM, listen to a few emergency info channels, and figure out whats going on around me best i can. Then I’d grab my backpack i keep with some basic supplies in it. Change of clothes, water filter, first aid kit, knife, etc. Throw some food in there, and go.

I have Organic Maps downloaded with maps for my area within a few hundred miles, and ive studied up on the local geography enough to know how to get away from people. I’d get out into the woods, and setup a little camp. i have a ultralight hammock that can be slung between two trees, and a rain cover for it to sleep in. With the food id bring and water filters i could stay out there probably a week or 2 without needing to leave. I’d listen to the radio(have a solar charger to keep it powered), keep myself informed on whats going on, and wait out the initial panic. Once things settled down a bit I’d go look for a more permanent place to setup. Maybe an abandoned house or something.

It might not be much, and isnt by any means guaranteed to keep me alive. It does make things easier though. I won’t be taken by surprise if something does happen, and i can stop stressing so much about it now. A lot of the prep i did was free, and the rest is very affordable. I’m broke af and managed to do it. Altho with tariffs some things will be not so cheap soon. Even just having a plan brings a ton of peace of mind tho.

As for wasting your life, don’t waste it then. Do things that make you happy. Go outside, and look at the sky. Pet a cat. Whatever. The world could end tomorrow or we could get hit by a bus tomorrow. Plan for the future sure, but don’t live for the future. Enjoy life now.