I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and speaking out. Full disclosure: this is not a political post. I will not mention “sides”, we are all in this together. The decisions being made and the changes that are occurring affect us all. This post is about coping. Finding a way to live our lives as honest, respectful, loving people in the midst of chaos.
Last week hit me particularly hard. I’ve felt anxious, depressed, hopeless, and yes, hateful. It’s Monday morning and I’ve decided I’m not going to live my life this way. I cannot continue down this path. So I decided to do something.
Among other things, I’m a writer. I use my words to help me figure things out. I’m also a former teacher and as such, I made a list, or maybe just some Monday morning musings, and I’m sharing my thoughts with you.
Self-Care
I’m realizing we are in this for the long haul. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and I need to make sure I’m taking care of myself. I know the drill…exercise, sleep, drink water, nourish my body. Ok, this last one may be tough. I’m a stress-eater and carbs are my go-to. Friday my critique group came over and we had cookies. I ate two that morning, then nibbled on them the rest of the day. By evening there were only two left. I finished them off with a glass of wine. So, yeah. I gotta work on that.
Meditation/Journaling
I’ll admit, when I get busy this often gets placed on the back burner, but now, more than ever, I need to reestablish this morning routine. This practice helps me to sort out my feelings, center myself and puts me in the right frame of mind.
Spend time in nature
This morning I took my fruit and yogurt (see? healthy!) and had my breakfast outside. From my backyard I have a glimpse of The Catalina Mountains and they have a calming effect on me. They’ve weathered wildfires and monsoon storms. “You will survive this,” they seem to say. No mountains where you live? Go for a walk in the woods or around your neighborhood. In many places, the long, dark winter is being replaced by signs of spring. Nature is telling us to have hope.
Limit time on social media, news programs, newspapers
This is tricky for me. As a self-published author, social media is part of my marketing. But, I can try to limit my time and avoid going down the rabbit hole. Maybe I’ll give myself a time limit and avoid picking up my phone when I’m bored or have down time.
I want to limit my time, but I don’t want to avoid the news altogether. I tried that for a while, creating an artificial cocoon around myself. Now I think it’s important to be informed. It’s getting harder and harder to find reliable sources, but I’m going to try to find out as much as I can about an issue before I react. Once I have the facts, the truth to the best of my knowledge, I’m going to:
Take a Stand
This is still a democracy. My voice matters and there are many ways to be heard. Instead of ranting and raving and worrying, I plan to select issues that are important to me and set aside a block of time each week to call my representatives. We elected these people to be our voice in Washington. They need to know what their constituents are thinking and their votes should reflect this.
There may come times when I will be moved to join in and hit the streets. On Saturday, a group of people made signs and gathered at Saguaro National Park to support our national parks. (Saguaro National Park here in Tucson recently announced that their visitor cententers will be closed on Mondays.)
There are ways to take a stand. Together we can make a difference.
And finally…
Seek Joy
On a recent podcast, I heard this quote:
“We cannot be a joyless people. We cannot sustain ourselves. We will not last long.”
Some days, it’s going to be hard to find joy in the midst of this chaos, but we must. Yesterday as I entered one of the big box stores, I heard l hammering and children’s voices. Following the sound, I found dozens of children and parents making birdhouses. JOY. Later, Ed and I were having lunch at our favorite pizza place (still carb-loading, I know…). When I looked out the window, I saw a man walking with his young son. They were holding hands. JOY. This morning the bouquet of alstroemeria on my kitchen counter had burst into full bloom. JOY. It’s still out there. Find it.
Thanks for reading this longer that expected post. Take care, my friends.
Deb
Threads of Thought
This was a difficult post for me to write. My heart is racing and, at times, I was blinking back tears. Deep breaths. Click. Publish.
Now it’s time to start my week and put my plan into action. (and we’re out of cookies)
Visit my author’s page here
Beautifully written. The quote about joy is so true. If we bog ourselves down in the hard all the time and never look up, we lose ourselves. Self-care during this time is not an option!
Thanks for reading. I appreciate your comments.
Thanks Deb! <3
I wrote this hoping my words might reach others who needed it right now. Thanks for reading.
Well written Deb! Add in a lot of self-compassion, and we, like the mountains, will weather this storm. And yes, JOY! And Beauty, are still alive and well and all around us if we focus on them. Best, S.
Exactly!
Thank you for posting this. Have been struggling with the chaos in the news myself. Appreciated the calming ideas. (We already try to limit our news media time and stopped watching the tv news several years ago. Cannot find my gratitude journal at the moment.) I highly recommend Heather Cox Richardson as a cogent, intelligent and very researched source of information. She is a historian and gives perspective on events.
Thanks, for the news tip. I’ll check it out.
Great job communicating your sincere feelings that I am sure resonates with your readers. We can all learn from your wise words. Being open and honest and putting it out there for all to read takes courage.
Thank you.
Thanks, Brad. You inspired me to act.
Thank you for this post. I’m a Canadian, so although my viewpoint is coming at the issues from a different angle, the fear and stress you identify resonates so deeply with me, as well as (I imagine), much of the world’s citizens. The image of the mountains, of weathering this storm, will stay with me for a long time. (I will look at the strong tall trees that pepper my prairie landscape). Thank you for raising all the beauty in the world and reminding us all of a way forward.
Thank you so much for your unique perspective. It helps me to put this issue into a global perspective. We are one world and what happens in one part affects us all. The image of your tall trees and prairie sounds beautiful.
I am in total agreement with you. For the first time ever I wrote to my senators. You are right…we will survive this but we must take care of ourselves.
So good to hear from you Peggy. Keep writing to your representatives. Let your voice be heard and take care, my friend.
Debra, I so agree and JOY is around us more than we accept. Look for that among the chaos as we seek and find our answers and thoughts in order.
Yes, looking for the joy, maybe even just one bright spot each day, will help to see us through. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Thank you Deb for your thoughtful post. It is indeed a chaotic time which means we must center ourselves in the midst of the storm. You wrote very helpful and gentle reminders.
I think this is something a lot of us are feeling right now.
Debra, thank you for your smart, strong words of joy to me today.
I’m so glad my words touched you. Thank you so much for reading and commenting
Debra, this is such a valuable blog for us all. Thank you for posting this. Your thoughts are excellent.
Thank you Jackie. This was something I needed for myself, but I felt that others could appreciate them as well.
Thank you, Debbie. I needed to hear your message.
Hello my friend and former teaching colleague.I woke up this morning to the news about the new dept. of Ed secretary and her plans for dismantling the department. Sigh…
I appreciate your taking time to write things down! I cling to the premise that nothing lasts forever and neither can this, even if building back will take longer than tearing down. Perhaps some improvements can come then, too!
Thanks Paula. I like your perspective on the situation. It gives me hope.
Thank you my friend for such timely and gentle thoughts this morning. You have written what so many of us are feeling. I will continue to look for the glimmers and joy . L.
Thank you for reading and commenting. I’m glad my words reached your heart. Have hope, find joy.