Your Self-Care Action Items
Hey gang, I’m hearing a lot of stressed out people out there, and I want you all to be taking care of yourselves. Remember: marathon, not sprint.
So, I want you to cycle these “action items” into your list of emails, letters, and marches.
1. Make time for a daily reflective and / or mindfulness practice. I’m a big fan of journaling, but there are other tools that work — meditation, talking with a friend, tarot readings (seriously), reflective reading… find something that works for you. Even the process of finding out that something doesn’t work for you will, ironically, work.
The goal: take the time to recognize the stories running around your head, in part to sort them out but mostly to recognize the difference between your thoughts/beliefs and reality (hint: reality is a lot less scary).
2. Take time every day to play. Play is not optional. I command you to play! NOTE: I do NOT mean playing Candy Crush. That’s narcotic. Play is a stimulant.
If you’ve forgotten how to play, visit your local dog park. If there aren’t any dog parks nearby, a playground is an acceptable alternative. There are lots of ways to play — parlor games or sports, improv classes or bad movies with friends. You’ll know your doing it right as soon as you start laughing.
The goal: As Oscar Wilde said “life is entirely too important to take seriously.” And as John Cleese points out “when we lose our sense of humour, we lose our sense of perspective.” Playing is the only way to keep your sense of humour in shape.
3. Take a sabbath / restoration day at least once a week. Experiment with what works for you, but at the very least, give yourself a break from Facebook and the news for the day. Trust me, the problems will still be there when you get back. Give yourself a day to find some balance. If you’ve been busy, go slow. If you’ve been alone, find friends. Take the time to ask yourself what you need.
The goal: give your batteries a chance to recharge. And don’t feel guilty. Your effectiveness after a sabbath will more than make up for the time you take to find your feet again.
4. Find your sangha. If you are anything like me, the thought of joining a spiritual group is right up there with root canal, but it doesn’t have to be like that. All I’m really talking about is finding a group of people you feel comfortable talking about existential questions with — because times like this are gonna make you ask some big existential questions! Yes, there are going to be groups of kooks out there (at least from your perspective), but there’s also a group — probably people you already know — who talks the same language and asks the same questions. These are your people, and when you find them, you will all be stronger.
The goal: As the Hopi elder says “the time of the lone wolf is over.” We have always needed each other, but now we need each other urgently.
Remember, your sanity is our greatest political resource. The bastards are trying to drive you crazy. Don’t give ’em the satisfaction!
