Especially for those who live in the US, there’s a huge amount going on politically. Many supporters of Donald Trump may be delighted by current events, but the rest of us are alarmed, or arguably should be.
Violent criminals, including some that assaulted police officers and one who ran an online drugs market, have been released from prison. An executive order was issued that tried to negate part of the constitution. Some of the president’s political enemies have had their security details withdraw, which puts their lives at risk. Round-ups of both citizens and undocumented migrants have begun. A man with a history of extreme drunkenness, threats against women, and financial impropriety has been put in charge of the world’s largest military. Federal contractors have been given the green light to practice racial and sexual discrimination. And so on, and so on. It’s a lot. It’s overwhelming.
I do not want to be overwhelmed, and I assume you don’t either. So I’d like to talk about what I’m doing to stay sane.
My slogan at the moment is “Feet on the ground. Heart wide open. Keep looking upward.”
Feet on the ground
“Feet on the ground” means staying calm and emotionally grounded.
I’m practicing very light (or zero) engagement with the news, and instead reading thoughtful overviews from people like Heather Cox Richardson, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Timothy Snyder, and so on.
I’m trying to take care of my need for rest and emotional nourishment by doing things like listening to music and seeing friends when I can. We need to look after ourselves.
I’m aiming not to be outraged, but instead to see everything as “to be expected given the circumstances” — that is, the circumstances of Most of what’s happening (except for thinly veiled threats to invade Greenland and Panama) was flagged well in advance. Assuming you’d been paying attention, you won’t be surprised.
Accepting things as “to be expected” doesn’t mean accepting those things as okay. Instead it means treating them as matters of fact. We can know that things are morally wrong and harmful, and support lawsuits, protest, legislative action, etc as countermeasures, without getting outraged (and thereby exhausted). Believing that outrage is necessary and helpful is one of the most unhelpful things we can do.
Bad as things are, I ground myself by reminding myself that things have been much worse here. Think of the times of slavery, the Civil War, Jim Crow, the wars against native peoples, the two World Wars. Things are bad, but we can be grateful they’re not worse. Having a historical perspective is another way of keeping my feet on the ground.
As far as fear goes, I’m trying to focus on the fact that right now, in this moment, I am safe. I’m aware that circumstances can change, but for now I’m okay. (My partner is more prone to anxiety, and is worried sick at the moment.)
Heart wide open
Heart wide open means staying in touch with the reality of others’ suffering.
It’s profoundly unhelpful in times like these to withdraw into selfishness, thinking that if we’re okay, then everything’s okay. This is a kind of solipsism that many spiritual practitioners slip into. Certainly there are times we have to withdraw and take care of ourselves. But the best kind of practitioner, the Buddha said, is one that practices for the benefit of not just themselves, and not just others, but both themselves and others. So we withdraw in order to benefit not just ourselves, but the world too.
So I need to think of others, some of whom have much more reason than I to be fearful, with roundups of both citizens and unregistered migrants, people with their jobs threatened, even people (as I’ve mentioned) having their security details cancelled. I’m trying to keep my heart open and compassionate, but unanxious.
In fact, having compassion for others helps us to avoid worrying. Worry comes from anxious rumination, where we obsessively think about things that are going wrong, often feeling helpless in the face of them. Worrying prevents us from having real compassion.
Another thing that counters anxiety is actually doing something, so it helps to find organizations to support, such as those that offer legal advice. Raices, which provides legal representation for migrants and asylum seekers, is one I’m donating to. But there are many others. Whatever organization you support, even if you can afford to give only a little, you’ll almost certainly feel empowered by donating. You’ll feel you’re contributing, rather than just standing on the sidelines decrying everything that’s wrong.
To balance the need to avoid overwhelm with our natural desire to stay engaged and aware, you might want to pick just a couple of key topics to focus on. We can’t stay on top of everything.
Keep looking upward
Keep looking upward means, “be hopeful.”
As Howard Zinn said, “To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.”
Keep in mind not just the aim of combatting change that you find unwelcome, but also the kind of society you’d like to see emerge in the future. It might take decades to bring about some changes you’d like to see, but that means it’s all the more important to start now, sharing your vision and changing minds.
Feet on the ground. Heart wide open. Keep looking up.
These are the things I’m doing to stop feeling helpless and overwhelmed. What’s helping you?
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