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Here are a couple of very tiny, very basic things you can do to care for yourself and ensure that you have energy for the fight ahead of us.
Breathe.
In, and out. In, and out. If you want, try the 4-7-8 technique where you breathe in for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and let it out for eight seconds. I like to keep my eyes closed while I focus on breathing.
Hug.
Wrap your arms around yourself and give a squeeze. Or, if you like being touched by other people, you can ask someone else to give you a hug, too. The day after the 2024 election, I even asked a near-stranger for a hug.
Say to yourself, “Yes, what is happening is legit terrible. It is okay that I am feeling stressed, overwhelmed, sad, terrified, enraged, (insert words for whatever you’re feeling here). But I am not the only one feeling this way. There are MILLIONS of us ready for change and we are just getting started.”
Sniff a lemon.
No, really. Go ahead! This is sort of a metaphor. When I was early in my pregnancy with Jamieson (or possibly my previous pregnancy… it’s hard to remember) and feeling awful, my mother-in-law handed me a lemon and told me to scratch and sniff it whenever I needed a little help. I did, and the nausea abated.
I kept that lemon by my side the entire time we were visiting her. That small kindness made a big difference. And, incidentally, it also felt like women’s wisdom passed down through the ages, making its way to me.
I am trying to notice more often when others around me, even strangers, might need a smile or a kind word or gesture, and providing that. It doesn’t matter who they might have voted for in that moment, or if they’re not willing or able to offer small kindnesses of their own. Part of me still believes that putting kindness into the world is making a difference on some small level. That whole “be the kind of change you want to see in the world” stuff, ya know.
Also, you can just literally sniff a lemon. They smell really good — sharp, mind-clearing, calming. Maybe it will bring a little sunshine to your day and help you feel better.
