Written by Executive Director Claire Louge
There’s so much going on in the world lately that it’s been hard to be both concise and honest when answering the question “How are you?”
It feels like there’s too much to think about and too much to care about.
A lot of people in helping professions like ours feel a looming sense of threat right now – a threat that resources we depend on to do our work might shift, that something might suddenly change, and that people we serve will be harmed. This sense of threat can extend to our personal lives too.
Feeling a sense of threat is an energy suck. To imagine a harmful impending outcome is to be in a constant state of restless alertness, and this state distracts us from connection, strategic thinking, empathy, and thoughtfulness. And we definitely need those things right now.
So what do we do when we feel a persistent sense of threat? When we care about so much but can’t possibly do something about everything?
I don’t claim to have the perfect or complete answer, but here’s what's been helpful for me:
- Tend to yourself. Don’t martyr yourself. We need you. For me, I need to start with the basics, and sometimes they’re the hardest to do: Eat what fuels you. Prioritize sleep. Move.
- Tend to a relationship. Text a quick note to a friend on why you admire them. Tell someone you’re thinking about them. Give kudos to a colleague. Hug your kid.
- Tend to community. I have had to remind myself that community exists in layers: colleagues, family, friends, neighbors, and the people around us in places we frequent. There’s something really grounding about doing something that benefits people in your physical space. Pick up trash at a park. Send a note to your legislator. Put your phone down at the grocery store so you can look people in the eye and maybe give them a smile. Do something that helps people around you feel seen. It’s amazing how much doing this picks me up.
When things get hard and you don’t know what to do, do any of these three things. You care so much that you will want to think big, but think small. Small but significant. Tiny things count.
You cannot do everything for everything or everyone, even though you wish you could. But what you do have to give - whatever that is – for community, loved ones, or yourself – is enough. And it’s needed. Keep on going.