💬 Thursday Thread: How do you take care of yourself during stressful times?
Taking care of ourselves, so we have the energy to fight, is critical
We’ve all heard the analogy about putting your oxygen mask on first so that you’re able to help others. And that idea is crucial right now. If we run out of steam, just 10 days into this new administration, we won’t have the strength to fight for the next four years.
Let’s talk about how you take care of yourself during stressful times. Whether the stress is caused by the government, or closer to home with sickness, financial concerns, loss, how do you focus on getting what you need so that you can stand up again and again?
👉 For today’s Thursday thread, here’s what I’d like to know:
What are the top ways you take care of yourself during stressful times?
In case you missed it, I shared six ways everyday citizens can force elected leaders to fight back against fascism. The fight is a long one. But taking care of ourselves first and foremost is a non-negotiable.
Welcome to the Thursday Threads, a weekly chance for us to connect with one another in the comments. Join me and other readers as we navigate important discussions. And a note: a difference of opinion is always okay, being unkind to one another is not. Let’s keep these conversations respectful.
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Dan Savage posted this, and Jessica Craven sent it in her weekly list of good news—I am trying to remember this every day:
“The next four years are gonna suck. But they'll suck worse if we let the news cycle — and the man who dominates it — drain the joy from our lives. We need to pay attention and we need to stay in the fight. Because of course we do. But we should spend as much time as we possibly can over the next four years with friends and lovers doing things that bring us joy. Anyone who tells you that making time for joy - however you define it — is a distraction or a betrayal has no idea what they're talking about. During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for. It didn't look like we were going to win then and we did. It doesn't feel like we're going to win now but we could. Keep fighting, keep dancing.”
Yes to reconnecting with ourselves in ways that seem small but are powerful. Cooking. Reading fiction. Gardening. Walking. Laughing with friends. Petting a cat or dog. Making time to take a class in something joyful and thought -provoking.