Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
Today, more than ever before in my lifetime, basic human rights and freedoms are being stripped from the most vulnerable people in America. Freedoms are stripped not because they did anything wrong, but because of the color of their skin, sexual or gender orientations, and country of origin. The social injustices are numerous and heartbreaking. Families are gutted. Communities are broken. Fear reigns supreme.
I’m finding it hard to cognitively wrap my head around and feel my nervous system paralyzed. There are systemic chess pieces at play that feel unstoppable. I feel out of control.
So that begs the question, what CAN we actually DO?
I believe we need to KISS it – Keep It Short and Simple.
The first is probably the most important: limit our time on social media and news. Both of these sources have a large detrimental effect on our mental health and overall existential belief about ourselves and the world. We need to be aware of what is going on, but give your nervous system time to recover and keep these sources extremely limited in your day.
Second, reach out to our neighbors. Really get to know each other. We may not have the same skin color, orientations, religion, opinions, or job. But we are human and we can show up for each other. Practice listening to understand, versus listening to respond. Allow others to have their different opinions and beliefs. Life would be so boring if we were all the same.
Third, have real conversations with those around us – family, friends, coworkers. Put down our devices and really connect with each other. Talk to those in your inner circle about your deeper thoughts, feelings, and reactions. The deeper intimacy might feel weird at first, but will also be deeply fulfilling.
Fourth, move our bodies. I live in Texas, and it is already very hot. But I can still find time in the day to move my body, usually early in the morning. There are not too many things that fresh air, sunshine, and moving my body don’t help bring into a better perspective.
Fifth, show up for each other. Really show up for each other. Thanks to everyone in Los Angeles for showing us how it can be done. Organizing peaceful protests outside of buildings, rallying around those that are powerless. Filming what is really happening so untruths lose their power.
Sixth, share (really share) our lives with safe others. Our American individualism often prevents us from intimately sharing our lives with others. Asking for help is stigmatized as a sign of weakness instead of an opportunity to connect and help each other out. We find joy in helping others, let’s spread helpfulness glitter across our communities during this trying time.
And finally, practice intentional, good self care. Self-care is NOT selfish. It is necessary to refill our tanks and continue doing the hard work for another day. Self-care doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive. Simple things like a cup of tea or coffee (screen free), a guided meditation, a bubble bath, or even a good book are all simple examples of self-care. Taking a few min to lay in the sunshine or a sun-beam from the window. Integrating a daily gratitude practice at the end of the day to help offset the negativity that pervades the news headlines. These are all examples of easy, low time investment practices that make a huge difference in our daily lives.
The news might sound hopeless. Freedoms are indeed being stripped from people. And we can find freedom and hope in ourselves and each other. Be well and be there for each other. We can do hard things as we band together.
