Do you feel life sucks right now? Perhaps overly anxious about the future? Maybe going through challenging times, struggling with financial or health problems, family issues, or just having a hard time coping with the barrage of crazy stuff going on everywhere?

First, know that you're not alone. There's no solace in that, but it helps to realize no one's special and we all have our challenges and ordeals. Life isn't fair and the universe doesn't care, so we have to keep going and doing our best with what we have.

While there's no silver bullet to most material or physical problems, much less to significant world issues, a lot can be done at the personal level to alleviate feelings of hopelessness and soul ailments. There's religion, philosophy, hitting the gym, taking long walks, journaling—the list goes on.

And there's practicing selflessness. 
That's what I'm addressing today. Starting with an important distinction: being selfless is an attribute; practicing selflessness is an action. Both are altruistic and noble; however, donating our time and resources impact others much more. 

It's backed up by anecdotal evidence as well as science to be good for the mind and the body, and also for the soul: every religion encourages charitable giving. Regardless of yours, or even if you have one, everybody has a spirit and practicing selflessness is good karma.

If you're an atheist, it still applies: as Lincoln said, "When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. And that's my religion." He's not talking about the afterlife, but here and now: no matter what, we feel healed and elevated when we make a difference to others.

Can practicing selflessness be a form of preparation? 

That's a legitimate question, considering things mix up a little here. First off, if living in a bubble makes people soft, entitled, and alienated, it follows that getting close to suffering and hardship in any form has the opposite effect, so the short answer is 'yes'.

Helping people already in an SHTF situation allows us to know and experience that thorny reality firsthand, which removes the edginess and builds a thicker skin, mental toughness, plus a host of other soft and hard skills.