Okay so it’s four days after Charlottesville and I have had my fourth night of little sleep-tossing and turning in bed while wondering how I am going to survive what is happening in our county. How am I going to talk to my clients who are brown or black, Jewish, or LGBT? Wait, what about me? Is my passport current? Should I seriously consider moving to Canada? What about my children? My friends? My family? Are we safe? How are we ever going to be okay again?
I felt this way in November, on election night. Crying in bed. Feeling like my deepest beliefs and values were being threatened. On the days that followed I was glued to social media, I slept little. I swung from having no appetite to comfort-eating whatever soft, sweet carb was available. Somehow I was able to reassure myself that it would be okay. That I was okay. We would be okay. And gradually I regained my center, my strength, my sense of peace and hope. Now I feel like i am reliving that trauma all over again, with an even greater sense of urgency an dread.
I came across the article “Feeling hopeless after Charlottesville? 16 ways you can make a big difference.” By Robbie Couch on Upworthy. It offers concrete advice to take care of yourself and take steps to work for change.
First and foremost, make sure that you are OK. Couch offers a link to the volunteering site DoSomething.org and their guide for “Coping with Discrimination“. It offers practical advice for self-care for the stress and trauma that many of us are experiencing. Even the name of the site is therapeutic. DO SOMETHING. Be active. Make a ripple. Make a change-even a small one-it will help you feel better. Other suggestions in the article include concrete ways we can become involved, both directly and indirectly. We can take action and work for positive change. Action is necessary to keep us from getting pulled down into feelings of helplessness, powerlessness and hopelessness. Couch suggests joining organizations such as NAACP, joining in a peaceful demonstration, donating money to victims, and monitoring the political actions of your representatives.
These are some strategies that work for me:
- Being around the people I love and people who love
- Spending time with Nature
- Feeding my spiritual self
- Eating healthy and nurturing my physical self
- Being politically active through phone calls, letter writing and peaceful protests.
While political action might seem overwhelming to some people, I found that the site 5 Calls to be an effective way to make your voice heard to lawmakers. This site offers an app or daily text reminders with phone numbers and relevant issues. There are even scripts for the anxious phone callers.
And stay connected. One of the best ways to keep hope alive is through connection with others. VolunteerMatch.org gives resources for reputable non-profits that match areas that matter to us. Giving back through volunteering helps everyone.
Never give up. It is going to be okay.
Positive Intent 