Hi,
This is Farzana Doctor,
And this one is for the activists.
It's been a pretty tough year,
And so what I'm going to offer today is a little bit of talk,
A few tips,
And then a short meditation.
Most of the activists I know move in and out of states of overwhelm.
The things that we're witnessing in the world,
The ways that the issues feel so urgent and yet change can be so slow,
It's difficult.
We can move into fight,
Flight,
Freeze,
Collapse.
And for me,
When I'm moving through all of these,
I want to think a little bit about what to do so that I don't get stuck in collapse,
So I don't get stuck in a lack of motivation or feeling numb.
So here are a few tips that I use that help me to manage overwhelm,
Come back into my window of capacity,
And hopefully they'll be of use to you.
First of all,
Be in community.
Don't be alone with your feelings.
Be aware of how long you're scrolling on social media alone.
Instead,
Talk to a friend,
Maybe join a protest.
I personally like to be in a crowd of people who are active and caring in the same way that I am.
Next,
Take a few minutes each day to hold space for and mindfully express your feelings.
We don't want these feelings to get stuck inside of us.
So whatever works for you.
I write,
I like to dance.
I'll listen to one three minute song and I'll dance and somewhere in there I will laugh and cry and that's a really good release for me.
Perhaps for you it's painting.
Perhaps for you it's drawing,
Making recordings,
I don't know,
Taking photos.
And definitely,
This is my third tip,
Find and use rituals for grief.
Maybe that's prayer,
Maybe it's going into nature.
I like to touch trees and ask them to metabolize the pain for me.
I recite the Al-Fatihah,
A prayer for the murdered or martyred at the lake and ask her to carry my words for me.
My next tip is to find ways to release your fight-flight-freeze energy,
Particularly before bedtime.
Shake,
Bounce,
Tense and release.
Do a very short workout because it's before bed.
And finally,
I love the 20 second hug.
You can do it with a human or a pet who stays still long enough for that.
It really sustains me,
It brings back some oxytocin to my system.
What helps you?
I'd like you to take a moment,
Maybe close your eyes.
Take a deep breath with a long exhalation and again.
What sustains you in your activism?
What helps you to not stay numb?
What brings you out of overwhelm and back into your window of capacity?
Hopefully your wise mind is offering you up those answers.
Thanks for being with me today.
Keep talking,
Keep acting,
Keep bearing witness.
