Here we go. Happy almost-October!
This week I want to send up a flare to make sure you have some reinforcements to get through the next few days/months. I'm starting my week with a Parnassus Books virtual event tonight with Chasten Buttigieg being interviewed by Brad Paisley because Chasten gives me joy and... he's being interviewed by (of all people) Brad Paisley?? So, yes to that! Also, walking and breathing in as much foliage as I can before it's gone for the winter.
I am hearing about lots of anxiety and experiencing it myself as well. Below you will find a few resources to help you understand and alleviate the stress, and of course, I am always here if you need to reach out.
In an article titled Feeling Anxious Is the New Normal. Here's When You Should Be Concerned, NYC-based psychologist and author of Your Next Big Thing, Ben Michaelis says, "Humans are really good at dealing with one major stressor — what we’re not good at is when we have multiple simultaneous stressors, which is what’s happening now." (Full disclosure, I know Ben. He wrote a blurb for my new book and is an overall kind human being who is helping keep a lot of people sane right now). The article goes on to talk about what healthy anxiety looks like and what to look out for when it starts to go awry.
A second great article, this one from The Washington Post—The pandemic proves we all should know ‘psychological first aid.' Here are the basics.—offers some tangible tools to manage this madness.
The bottom line?
You are not alone if you feel this way.
Leaning on each other helps a lot.
Nature helps too.
Make sure your physical needs are taken care of: food, shelter, rest.
Reduce exposure to additional unnecessary stress (a.k.a 24-hr news)
Practice looking for beauty, hope, and things to be grateful for.
Don't forget to breathe, frequently and purposefully.
Wishing you a hopeful, peaceful week wherever you can find it!
Sarah
Speaking of hope, last week, I took 90 minutes to watch Kiss The Ground on Netflix. I had no idea how little I knew about what can be done to reduce global warming and nourish the planet (and our own bodies) in a relatively short period of time. This film gave me hope at exactly the moment I needed it. If you're scared about the state of the planet, it's definitely worth a watch. We all know the damage that has been done... who knew so much of it is reversible?
Last, if you're looking for an easy way to help get out the vote but don't want to text or call voters, check out Vote Forward. It's a quick, personalized, and safe way to "adopt" 5 underrepresented voters (or more) in swing states. You just download a letter template, print it out, write a personal note, and pop it in the mail. The 3-minute video above explains how it works!
And a few more voter resources if you need to check your registration or donate! :-) Vote Save America, Fair Fight, Headcount
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Past posts can be found HERE.