4 tools for balance in tough times

It’s been a while…

I hope you are OK.

This is an interesting and challenging time we’re living in - to say the least.

A lot of us are reeling, trying to manage the constant barrage of information, much of it upsetting.

I have talked with so many people who, like me, are trying to balance the need to stay informed with the need for down time and self-care.

I’ve been feeling the strain in a big way.

Last week I decided to take myself off of all social media, mostly for self-preservation.

It was a hard decision, because social media has been one of my outlets for speaking out and being an ally.

But the constant feed of reposted news articles and arguments wasn’t helping me stay focused…it was actually draining my energy.

So while I miss the special connections I have with people on the socials, I gave myself space by snoozing my accounts.

This has given me time to read some news, as well as Heather Cox Richardson’s essays - my FAVORITE.

I’m in the loop without drowning in all of it.

What’s happening now is unlike anything probably any of us have experienced before.

It’s hard to witness people I love being hurt, being told that who they are isn’t OK, that they don’t fit.

It’s hard to witness the attacks on our constitution and the rule of law.

It’s sad and difficult to see the extreme division in our country right now.

It’s hard to realize that we may not all value the same things.

How will you get through this time with your love, your optimism, and your emotional, mental and physical health intact?

It’s pretty clear we’re not going to fix the problems we’re facing anytime soon…but this life is still yours to live every day.

So how can you live in the best possible way right now?

In my own soul-searching, I’ve identified four tools that are helping me get through this time…maybe even helping me thrive.

Tool #1: Know your values

When I was growing up, values were really important in my family.

I was raised Christian (though I no longer identify with a religion), and I believe it’s a very different Christianity than what I see in the news today.

It was more a philosophy…a humble and kind outlook.

It was based on treating people with love and respect.

It was surprisingly non-judgmental.

We really considered how this character/person named Jesus lived, how he loved, what he taught.

My parents tried to live their values.

They put Jesus’s example of someone who loved and served into action in their own lives.

They spoke up when they saw injustice.

They extended a hand to anyone who needed it…even if that person was unconventional or on the fringe.

They didn’t use Jesus or his teachings to judge or exclude ANYONE.

I’m only now starting to see how truly remarkable that was.

Basically, I was taught to live my values, and I believe those values were pretty solid.

Whatever your values and however you learned them, it’s important to live them.

Hopefully, you value similar things…to treat people well, to resist injustice and oppression, to help to create a world where all people have the right to thrive.

In this time that threatens so many…and maybe even threatens you…knowing your values and figuring out how to live them is absolutely essential.

Without a strong sense of your values, you may feel overwhelmed by the negativity and wonder, what’s the point?

The point is to be who you are and to live your values in the world.

Tool #2: Stay informed

If you don’t know what’s going on, you won’t be able to do anything to help.

However, knowing your own mental health limits is key.

Reading the news 24/7 is going to be too much for most of us (I know it is for me).

Find sources that you trust, that are objective, and that are educated and informed.

It’s important to avoid stuff that’s overly-sensational and one-sided.

If you can find someone who is breaking the news down from a scholarly, historically-informed perspective, so much the better. I love Heather Cox Richardson for that reason.

I also love the newsletter Tangle, which reports news stories while giving coverage to both right-leaning and left-leaning opinions.

I find that taking in the news about once a day is about right. I skim through the headlines, I read what I’m drawn to, and leave the rest.

Consuming more than that (though I sometimes do) is not the best for me.

Knowing the basics without spending too much time going down rabbit holes makes me a happier person.

Tool #3: Take action

It’s one thing to freak out about what’s going on, and it’s another thing to use your voice.

Fortunately there are some great resources for those of us (like me) who are easily overwhelmed.

One resource I’m starting to use is 5calls.org.

It’s free and it’s easy. 5calls explains how to call your congressperson and even provides scripts for different issues that you might be concerned with.

Making calls is effective: congressional staffers tally calls by location right away.

No longer spending time on Facebook gives me time to make calls.

And that feels better to me than endlessly doom-scrolling.

Some other great ways to take action:

Make the decision to be an ally for people who are actively being targeted right now…like trans people, LGBTQ+ folks, and people of color. Learn about allyship. Talk to your friends and ask them how you can have their back.

Join an organization that fights the rolling back of important climate change policies.

Donate money to a cause that will help people impacted by the changes that are happening.

Tool #4: Know when to take a break

We ALL need breaks.

A break may be taking a bunch of days off from even thinking about this stuff, from looking at the news, from taking action.

Do that if you need it.

A break can be dedicating some time every day where you put away your phone and do something just for you.

Like taking a walk, or a long bath.

Like snuggling your cat.

Like meditating.

Another great way to take a break is to do something creative that you love to do.

For me, that’s playing the piano.

And writing some music…which believe it or not, is something I’ve never really done.

In my 25+ year career as a pianist, I almost always played other people’s music.

Writing some of my own music is a way of giving something to the world that is completely unrelated to what’s happening in the news.

It feels good.

Finding balance is a kind of practice in and of itself.

It’s probably not something you’re going to nail, and that’s OK.

Think of this as an exercise in tuning into yourself and getting a sense for when you feel creative, inspired, and empowered…and a sense for when you feel overwhelmed and disempowered.

There IS a way to get through this time without completely checking out.

The world needs you! But only when you’re healthy and regulated can you give the best of yourself.

So know your values and live them out loud.

Stay informed and be judicious about what information you’re taking in.

Take action in the ways that feel right for you.

And while you’re doing all of this, learn when you need to step back and just take a break.

Have you ever considered that in some dimension beyond this 3D world, there’s a part of your consciousness that CHOSE this assignment?

To be here living a human life at this point in time?

Well guess what…you’re crushing it!

Keep going. And keep taking care of you.

Could you use some support right now? Click here to schedule a free 30-minute connection call with me. And for more juicy life stuff, check out my podcast, coming home (to yourself). As always, may your week be filled with self-love and rich insights. With love, Amy ♡♡♡