This is such a difficult balancing act. We want to be aware of what's going on so we can speak out against it, but at the same time it's so disheartening. I've started grimacing just opening an app or my browser, afraid of what awful news I might see. It all just feels so petty and devastating at the same time. It's like this administration thought, "What are the most disenfranchised and vulnerable populations so we can target them first and then work our way back, stopping just shy of those with any real power."
The stress on our nervous systems is exhausting, but who am I to turn away when people are really suffering? More chocolate and coffee for breakfast, Netflix and Apple TV for the rest of the day? Sending you hugs Mesa. I've heard cursing is helpful when one is in pain so I'll end by saying "Fuck this motherfucking shit." Meh, marginally better. XO ❤️🥰
First, Mesa, Amy, Susan, and all, thank you for your fierce hearts and care.
A suggestion:
Maybe shift the language a bit. For example, lift up vulnerable populations in practical and empowering ways.
a) support LGBTQIA+ writers and artists with monetary support and encouraging language.
b) support the ACLU
c) shift the focus from the news to practices in your local communities
d) stay informed but boycott the bs. Don't buy the hype or feed the fear. Easier said than done I understand.
e) Make care packages for the unhoused. Many unhoused folks are queer folks.
f) stay informed but nourish yourself first. We are many layered beings and it's essential as dark chocolate and Netflix and Apple TV to practice filling yourself up.
g) Find a in body or somatic practice like: dance in the kitchen or anywhere, Yoga with Adrienne (there's even chair yoga for the differently mobile), YouTube has some good Qigong stuff (I really like this practitioner: https://youtu.be/3K-0JpiJu-o?si=qxZa3hep3c1Q79Uq )
h) A Music practice. Our bodies themselves are musical instruments! Thank your body for your mobility and every sinew and muscle and tendon and sensory ability. Music is alchemy. Music is movement and even helps me move emotions and stuck stuff through like trauma drama. :)
i) Use your voice: Sing outlaid. Read poetry outloud. Sometimes I even sing and dance while pumping gas into my Puddlejumper. Joy is a contagion! Joy is a practice.~Jon Batiste
j) Write. Write. Write. Letters from Love is soul food.
k) Make Art instead of hours scrolling. Invest in art supplies and let that inner critic just chill. I have pastels, paint pens, watercolors, sketch pencils, a sketchbook, and blank artist postcards. Send your postcards to friends and family or take photos of them and share here. Invite others to join you in your practices either virtually or in analog time.
l) Learn a new language. Duolingo is fun and free!
m) Puzzle your being with jigsaw puzzles, Jenga, word find, crossword puzzles, dot to dot, sudoku....nourish the grey matter too.
n) Historically, doom seems to have always existed and way before mobile phones. Embrace this and find the absurd in it all. This never ceases to amuse me and shift me into a greater sense of well being.
o) Popcorn.
p) Sensory breaks. Do things that feel good in your tummy and body. Find what works for you. if turning down the lights and moving slower in the morning works, do that. The world can be really loud sometimes so do what brings you some peace.
q) Equilibrium. Watch the caffeine. I switched to chai. I purchase Ceylon bags. I have a little cutting board I bought from Aldi. In my chai center I have: cinnamon ground and sticks, ground cloves, cardamom,black pepper, and ginger powder. I also prefer raw honey. You do you. I put the spices in the bottom of a chunky mug and then pour the hot water over. I did invest in a beautiful electric kettle from Target. (Bodum 27oz Melior Goose Neck Electric Water Kettle Matte Black: Stainless Steel Tea Kettle with Ergonomic Handle, 1000W) Bodum.com. Asian cultures have long had tea ceremonies and practices. There's something to it and thousands of years later, we are still here.) Again, if java is your thing, I totally understand. For me, I don't get the jitters from tea like I do from coffee. All things in moderation including moderation as Dr. Maya says.
r) Plants. Plants. Plants. for those without a green thumb, maybe a silk plant or a hardy live plant like a Spider plant or a Snake plant that simultaneously clean the air. If you have pets or little ones, make sure they are not toxic. I sing and talk to my plants. I plant seedlings and watch them germinate. I even discovered I can use my lamp I purchased when I lived in a dark winter climate and now use it as a grow light. (circadianoptics.com)
It is specifically designed for seasonal sadness. Make plants and dirt a practice. Remember mud pies as a kid and sandboxes. Even Bubba has a sand box of his own. He's a three year old Chessie/Lab/Basett rescue. Remember how to play again.
s) Practice Silly. Be whimsical. Find your inner goofball. Laughter is alchemy. Fart jokes even. Be spontaneous. Invent limericks and puns and knock knock jokes. Even Brene Brown and family have a Knock Knock joke practice. It's Social Science!
t) Show your own being the tenderness you would show towards a beloved dog, cat, lizard, plant, bird.....you get the idea. Gentleness is a practice too.
u) Watch the corn syrup and sugar madness. Again. You do you. it does help me to eat real food.
v) Cheese is soul food. Hint: make sure it's real cheese though. I recently discovered that some cheese is actually a plastic derivative. How did I discover this? It doesn't melt on homemade pizza at 450 degrees Farenheit. ugh.
w) Water. Water. Water. Hydrate. I keep a water bottle in the freezer and one in the fridge.
X) Cat Naps. Breaks. Stretch. Isometric exercises. I even keep a 2-5 lb barbell in the bathroom. Laugh if you must but ergonomically....tmi...no gym membership required.
y) Lean on your supports. For me it's often nature, poetry, swimming, water, the sea, dark chocolate..and you all here.
z) Unplug an hour or two before bed. It takes time but eventually the resilient grey matter will reset itself and trust. You will feel better.
Hope this Alphabet Alchemy brings you comfort and practical tools.
and for you, dear @mesafama joon, Trees. Trees. Trees. Feel the bark under your palm. Hug a tree a day.
Thank you for this thoughtful response. I love these ideas and will incorporate as many as I can into my daily and weekly routines. You are a gift. XO 🥰❤️
I’m way over in the protecting myself part of the continuum, which if you knew me and my history you would find shocking. I spent my entire career working in mental health and disabilities, and i care deeply. In the not too distant past, at the expense of myself - which is why i feel the need to protect myself now. When i read about things affecting someone it feels like it’s mine too. Yesterday I was thinking about how cold it’s been here (near zero) so I gave money to organizations who house and care for the homeless. I give regularly to a women’s shelter, food bank, The Bail Project and a few others I’m not thinking of at the moment. I’m in a different phase of life so maybe I’m more focused on caring for myself? As I type this I’m feeling selfish but i know it isn’t. I have health problems, c being one-i refuse to spell that damn word out) so it’s important i keep my inflammation levels down. Something happened a few years ago that drove home what stress does to the body. I was doing a cardiac stress test and because of all the cycling my heart rate wouldn’t get high enough to stop the test. After several minutes she told me to think of something upsetting - it was 2019 so i thought of trump - and literally a few seconds later she said “okay that did it we’re done” and it was so fast and all i had done differently was think about the asshole i thought she had to be joking. She wasn’t. A few seconds of thinking about him was all it took - even when the actual exertion of walking fast at an incline hadn’t. Mental stress had trumped (sorry for the pun and this long comment too!) physical stress!! I’ve never forgotten it. It showed me first hand how just my thoughts impact my body and thus my health. I think we all need to do what is best for us and i am immensely grateful to everyone fighting this fight but for the most part (i call and write my so-called representatives and give money to organizations and volunteer weekly at another) I’m sitting this one out. I can’t say it is right, just right for me at this time. Thank you for fighting for us, Mesa. 💙
Happy to fight for you, Susan. I completely understand about needing to do what is best for you and your health. That is far more important than anything else going on. Sending you lots of love <3 xoxo
The doom scroll has been going down over here too! I've been heavy into my consumerism vs creating/writing mode. Sometimes I feel like a bottomless pit or the ghost from Spirited Away- just taking everything in and never wringing myself out! Thank you for the permission to scrape joy together- however that joy may look for us. ♥️
I love the honesty here. Especially the part about looking up groups to join in the resistance and the admission of not loving groups. I'm right there with you. My latest idea: post questions all over the damn place. The questions we don't ask out loud. Questions are powerful.
"Staying in the fight also means making room for joys, no matter how small." This is such an important message for times of unfolding turmoil. It's not as though any of those small joys are going to eliminate all the strain on our nervous systems, but we need to interrupt the chronic strain.
For me, hope scrolling keeps me hooked into an unsustainable level of activation. But I've found some temporary relief from tearing through travel memoirs, reading about artists and looking at their work, and learning a new language.
Whatever works at a given moment is what we should all be doing to keep ourselves strong and active for the long haul. Thank you for the encouragement, Mesa!
I like that you add hope scrolling. That's what I'm looking for, unfortunately it has a lot of doom blended in. Mostly, I try to limit picking up my phone to scroll anything other than Substack. ❤
This is such a difficult balancing act. We want to be aware of what's going on so we can speak out against it, but at the same time it's so disheartening. I've started grimacing just opening an app or my browser, afraid of what awful news I might see. It all just feels so petty and devastating at the same time. It's like this administration thought, "What are the most disenfranchised and vulnerable populations so we can target them first and then work our way back, stopping just shy of those with any real power."
The stress on our nervous systems is exhausting, but who am I to turn away when people are really suffering? More chocolate and coffee for breakfast, Netflix and Apple TV for the rest of the day? Sending you hugs Mesa. I've heard cursing is helpful when one is in pain so I'll end by saying "Fuck this motherfucking shit." Meh, marginally better. XO ❤️🥰
Big hugs friend! Swearing it out helps too 😍😍😍
Just an idea.
First, Mesa, Amy, Susan, and all, thank you for your fierce hearts and care.
A suggestion:
Maybe shift the language a bit. For example, lift up vulnerable populations in practical and empowering ways.
a) support LGBTQIA+ writers and artists with monetary support and encouraging language.
b) support the ACLU
c) shift the focus from the news to practices in your local communities
d) stay informed but boycott the bs. Don't buy the hype or feed the fear. Easier said than done I understand.
e) Make care packages for the unhoused. Many unhoused folks are queer folks.
f) stay informed but nourish yourself first. We are many layered beings and it's essential as dark chocolate and Netflix and Apple TV to practice filling yourself up.
g) Find a in body or somatic practice like: dance in the kitchen or anywhere, Yoga with Adrienne (there's even chair yoga for the differently mobile), YouTube has some good Qigong stuff (I really like this practitioner: https://youtu.be/3K-0JpiJu-o?si=qxZa3hep3c1Q79Uq )
h) A Music practice. Our bodies themselves are musical instruments! Thank your body for your mobility and every sinew and muscle and tendon and sensory ability. Music is alchemy. Music is movement and even helps me move emotions and stuck stuff through like trauma drama. :)
i) Use your voice: Sing outlaid. Read poetry outloud. Sometimes I even sing and dance while pumping gas into my Puddlejumper. Joy is a contagion! Joy is a practice.~Jon Batiste
j) Write. Write. Write. Letters from Love is soul food.
k) Make Art instead of hours scrolling. Invest in art supplies and let that inner critic just chill. I have pastels, paint pens, watercolors, sketch pencils, a sketchbook, and blank artist postcards. Send your postcards to friends and family or take photos of them and share here. Invite others to join you in your practices either virtually or in analog time.
l) Learn a new language. Duolingo is fun and free!
m) Puzzle your being with jigsaw puzzles, Jenga, word find, crossword puzzles, dot to dot, sudoku....nourish the grey matter too.
n) Historically, doom seems to have always existed and way before mobile phones. Embrace this and find the absurd in it all. This never ceases to amuse me and shift me into a greater sense of well being.
o) Popcorn.
p) Sensory breaks. Do things that feel good in your tummy and body. Find what works for you. if turning down the lights and moving slower in the morning works, do that. The world can be really loud sometimes so do what brings you some peace.
q) Equilibrium. Watch the caffeine. I switched to chai. I purchase Ceylon bags. I have a little cutting board I bought from Aldi. In my chai center I have: cinnamon ground and sticks, ground cloves, cardamom,black pepper, and ginger powder. I also prefer raw honey. You do you. I put the spices in the bottom of a chunky mug and then pour the hot water over. I did invest in a beautiful electric kettle from Target. (Bodum 27oz Melior Goose Neck Electric Water Kettle Matte Black: Stainless Steel Tea Kettle with Ergonomic Handle, 1000W) Bodum.com. Asian cultures have long had tea ceremonies and practices. There's something to it and thousands of years later, we are still here.) Again, if java is your thing, I totally understand. For me, I don't get the jitters from tea like I do from coffee. All things in moderation including moderation as Dr. Maya says.
r) Plants. Plants. Plants. for those without a green thumb, maybe a silk plant or a hardy live plant like a Spider plant or a Snake plant that simultaneously clean the air. If you have pets or little ones, make sure they are not toxic. I sing and talk to my plants. I plant seedlings and watch them germinate. I even discovered I can use my lamp I purchased when I lived in a dark winter climate and now use it as a grow light. (circadianoptics.com)
It is specifically designed for seasonal sadness. Make plants and dirt a practice. Remember mud pies as a kid and sandboxes. Even Bubba has a sand box of his own. He's a three year old Chessie/Lab/Basett rescue. Remember how to play again.
s) Practice Silly. Be whimsical. Find your inner goofball. Laughter is alchemy. Fart jokes even. Be spontaneous. Invent limericks and puns and knock knock jokes. Even Brene Brown and family have a Knock Knock joke practice. It's Social Science!
t) Show your own being the tenderness you would show towards a beloved dog, cat, lizard, plant, bird.....you get the idea. Gentleness is a practice too.
u) Watch the corn syrup and sugar madness. Again. You do you. it does help me to eat real food.
v) Cheese is soul food. Hint: make sure it's real cheese though. I recently discovered that some cheese is actually a plastic derivative. How did I discover this? It doesn't melt on homemade pizza at 450 degrees Farenheit. ugh.
w) Water. Water. Water. Hydrate. I keep a water bottle in the freezer and one in the fridge.
X) Cat Naps. Breaks. Stretch. Isometric exercises. I even keep a 2-5 lb barbell in the bathroom. Laugh if you must but ergonomically....tmi...no gym membership required.
y) Lean on your supports. For me it's often nature, poetry, swimming, water, the sea, dark chocolate..and you all here.
z) Unplug an hour or two before bed. It takes time but eventually the resilient grey matter will reset itself and trust. You will feel better.
Hope this Alphabet Alchemy brings you comfort and practical tools.
and for you, dear @mesafama joon, Trees. Trees. Trees. Feel the bark under your palm. Hug a tree a day.
Love,
@constellationsinherbones
x)
Thank you for this thoughtful response. I love these ideas and will incorporate as many as I can into my daily and weekly routines. You are a gift. XO 🥰❤️
Fan-freaking-tastic!
incorporate and innovate at your own pace.
XO, Stay warm.
I’m way over in the protecting myself part of the continuum, which if you knew me and my history you would find shocking. I spent my entire career working in mental health and disabilities, and i care deeply. In the not too distant past, at the expense of myself - which is why i feel the need to protect myself now. When i read about things affecting someone it feels like it’s mine too. Yesterday I was thinking about how cold it’s been here (near zero) so I gave money to organizations who house and care for the homeless. I give regularly to a women’s shelter, food bank, The Bail Project and a few others I’m not thinking of at the moment. I’m in a different phase of life so maybe I’m more focused on caring for myself? As I type this I’m feeling selfish but i know it isn’t. I have health problems, c being one-i refuse to spell that damn word out) so it’s important i keep my inflammation levels down. Something happened a few years ago that drove home what stress does to the body. I was doing a cardiac stress test and because of all the cycling my heart rate wouldn’t get high enough to stop the test. After several minutes she told me to think of something upsetting - it was 2019 so i thought of trump - and literally a few seconds later she said “okay that did it we’re done” and it was so fast and all i had done differently was think about the asshole i thought she had to be joking. She wasn’t. A few seconds of thinking about him was all it took - even when the actual exertion of walking fast at an incline hadn’t. Mental stress had trumped (sorry for the pun and this long comment too!) physical stress!! I’ve never forgotten it. It showed me first hand how just my thoughts impact my body and thus my health. I think we all need to do what is best for us and i am immensely grateful to everyone fighting this fight but for the most part (i call and write my so-called representatives and give money to organizations and volunteer weekly at another) I’m sitting this one out. I can’t say it is right, just right for me at this time. Thank you for fighting for us, Mesa. 💙
Happy to fight for you, Susan. I completely understand about needing to do what is best for you and your health. That is far more important than anything else going on. Sending you lots of love <3 xoxo
The doom scroll has been going down over here too! I've been heavy into my consumerism vs creating/writing mode. Sometimes I feel like a bottomless pit or the ghost from Spirited Away- just taking everything in and never wringing myself out! Thank you for the permission to scrape joy together- however that joy may look for us. ♥️
You’re so very much not alone! And also- I love Spirited Away! AND Howl’s Moving Castle 😍😍😍
I love the honesty here. Especially the part about looking up groups to join in the resistance and the admission of not loving groups. I'm right there with you. My latest idea: post questions all over the damn place. The questions we don't ask out loud. Questions are powerful.
Thank you, Tawnya! I agree, questions are truly powerful :)
"Staying in the fight also means making room for joys, no matter how small." This is such an important message for times of unfolding turmoil. It's not as though any of those small joys are going to eliminate all the strain on our nervous systems, but we need to interrupt the chronic strain.
For me, hope scrolling keeps me hooked into an unsustainable level of activation. But I've found some temporary relief from tearing through travel memoirs, reading about artists and looking at their work, and learning a new language.
Whatever works at a given moment is what we should all be doing to keep ourselves strong and active for the long haul. Thank you for the encouragement, Mesa!
Thank you, Lori 🩵🩵🩵
I like that you add hope scrolling. That's what I'm looking for, unfortunately it has a lot of doom blended in. Mostly, I try to limit picking up my phone to scroll anything other than Substack. ❤