Yes, Democratic presidential primaries with multiple candidates are ALWAYS a time of anxiety here at Daily Kos.
Yes, the entire country has been at a high state of anxiety since the state of Florida was called for The Damn Fool in the evening hours of November 8, 2016.
And now in a post-impeachment environment mainly consisting of The Damn Fool getting revenge and the utter gutting of the executive branch of government?
Whew! So much work to be done. So many things that I, as a citizen of the United States, need to do in order to do my part in getting This Damn Fool out of office.
The most important thing that I...and anyone else needs to do?
Take care of yourself. After I tell you who we are and what we do here at Top Comments, I’ll share a few links to guides about taking care of self in the Trump era. You’ve probably seen and read many of these links before but we could always use a refresher course.
But first:
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Medium: How to self-care in the Age of Trump: 45 daily acts to stay sane in the chaos and madness by Nick Ward
Unplugging from technology: In order to get a great night’s sleep, experts recommend shutting down tech at least an hour before bed. In order to stay sane in the Age of Trump I recommend taking intermittent breaks from social media and technology at least 1/day per week. For me I try to do that on Sundays. It’s amazing how great I feel even after a few hours away from Facebook and Google. It helps be gain perspective on life and keeps from tunneling too deep down the rabbit hole.
Writing and reporting here at Daily Kos is a true labor of love for me and most days I do have a regularly scheduled diary to post. But I also have a couple of days where I have no assignments. Those are probably perfect days for me to take a chill pill from any and all social media.
Nonprofitaf.com: 9 self-care strategies in the era of Trump
Spend time with your family: Last week, I went to a pumpkin patch with the kids. They happily played in a giant bin full of dried corn. Then we saw a whole bunch of tiny black dots on the surface of the corn. They were grain beetles. Thousands of them. We quickly got the kids out and shook the beetles out of their socks. Wonderful memories like this should be cherished. Find time to hang out with your family.
Occasionally, this can be a double-edged sword.
I have no family here in Chicago but I do speak to and visit my family more often in the Trump era than I used to (although one of the reasons that I am more comfortable with family than I used to be is also that we have worked through a lot of issues within the family).
I am considered to be the family politics junkie so a lot times, I do take calls from family members seeking an explanatin for something going on in the world of politics. I dutifully answer their questions (if I can) but I am also quick to ask for a change of subject to...whatever.
Mindfulnext.org: Activism and Burnout in the Trump Era
Boundaries – Have healthy boundaries: “We need to learn the art of saying no” a Syrian activist told me. Indeed, saying no with grace it’s a beautiful art. If you want to be on call 24/7 just know that this is the best way to burnout: because while at first you’ll be happy to give it all “for the cause”, after a while you will expect appreciation, results, change. And they may or may not come. And when they don’t come and you’ve been available at anytime, for anyone or anything, you’ll be resentful and angry. Learn to say no and have a life beyond activism before that happens.
I mean, I’ve done canvassing and phone banking and what not….but I am really not comfortable with doing those plitical activities, important as they are. I don’ have the tempermeant for them, I have found out...the hard way.
Trying to keep others informed as best as I can and sharing my thoughts (keyboard activism, I guess) is what I do best. I need to get better at it, quite frankly, but it does represent me as being at my best in service to the cause.
Finally, I loved a bit of advice that Yale professor and On Tyranny author Timothy Snyder suggested on The Rachel Maddow Show a little over a week ago: That is, authoritarinism thrives on predictability, so do a little bit everyday to be unpredictable and aware and alive and do not settle for the present circumstances...(advice that should be followed within one’s own sense of personal boundaries of course...unless you feel like stretching those boundaries, of course.
Comments below the fold.
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