Protecting your well-being in moments of social injustice
It is important to bear witness to these moments of global social injustice. Feeling the grief, anger, and frustration of the collective, we see more clearly what parts of our humanity need tending to.
Let me be very clear: it is a privilege to only bear witness. To not have to live through these atrocities, either in the region or across the diaspora. Our responsibility as witness is to use the gifts of time and safety to renew our vows for a better tomorrow.
How can we be of service?
I have learned the hard way that I cannot be of service when I am drained—and these moments are draining. They can completely overwhelm our system if we don’t protect our mental and emotional well-being. If we don’t create enough space for the heaviness to reveal what needs to be revealed, and then gently pass on through.
Our mind operates exactly like our gut—it needs proper sources of nourishment and a well-functioning digestion. From that lens, I offer a few guiding questions to help you create that space in your mind and in your heart.
How are you kindling your mental metabolism every day? Do you wake up and immediately bombard your mind with the weight of the digital world? Or are you allowing your senses to acclimate to your immediate physical reality?
Does the rate of your consumption match the strength of your digestion? Are you giving your mind enough time to break down and absorb the information? Or do you binge story after story until it all starts accumulating as toxic waste?
What is the nutrient value of the information you’re consuming? Are you seeking to simply know what’s going on or are you seeking to understand? How have you learned about the patterns of greed, corruption, and oppression that have led to this moment and link it with so many others here at home?
When was the last time you gave yourself permission to put it all down? How can you counterbalance the collective grief with small moments of personal peace and joy? Do you know what it feels like in your body to hold space for both?
If you need someone to talk to, to hold space for you, to bear witness to your grief for even just a few moments, I am here.