You are so not alone. I was about to post “The Practice of Aces Science in the Time of Trump” when I saw Jane had already done it. I’ve read and shared that piece several times in the year or so since it was published.
Truly, 11.9.16 was a day that changed my life. I had that sense of being out of control and watching a movie where everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. I had to focus on the positive: that I could still vote, drive, work, talk to my children, play with my dog. “Everything” had not gone wrong, though the political upset cast such a pall over almost everyone I knew. And it made for a holiday season in which I didn’t want to see some family members. I had to quit thinking in absolutes.
Marching in January helped. I listened to friends who said this could be a good thing, that it would mobilize people and it would ultimately cause people to rally for a more progressive government. Some of that has happened. I don’t think #metoo would have the traction it does were it not for the current political climate. I agree with you on social media. If I don’t follow the “no Twitter after 9 p.m. “ rule I am in trouble and won’t sleep well.
All the self-care we talk about in building resilience helps: exercising, detoxifying, connecting with community (preferably some of that is live and in person), getting enough sleep, not taking actions that increase stress.
Getting up and outside of myself helps too. Singing in a choir or some other group is incredibly centering. Breathing deeply and seeking peace, going to a botanical garden or a walk in the woods, looking at the night sky and realizing the vastness of the universe, trusting MLK’s paraphrase of abolitionist Theodore Parker’s, “Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” — all of this helps.
i also got the audio book SuperBetter by Jane McGonigle, as well as the SuperBetter app. The app is free in iTunes and it helped me track self-care. It also showed me that there are a lot of other challenged humans taking positive steps toward feeling better.
Thanks for speaking your truth. Your doing so opens the space for others to do the same. There is safety and comfort in connection.
I hope we all stay in touch; I am glad there is a safe space to do so!
Peace!