I am not the “self-care is an act of resistance” or “reclaiming joy is radical” or “protecting my mental health by avoiding the news is necessary” type of person. This is not surprising to most of you. While I do avoid watching terrible Trump takes because they are ultimately pointlessly infuriating (and nonsensical), I have a professional and personal obligation to stay informed about the progress of this new administration, and our new Congress and Legislature at the federal and state level respectively.
It’s actually not that hard to stay abreast of the chaos in D.C. - read Project 2025. They wrote us a playbook for the first 100 days and a vision for our government. It’s easy to assume we voted for it, but since the average American is not very literate and brags about not reading books, I’m assuming most voted for the vibes. Since I’m trying to convince members of congress and state legislators, as well as government officials, of the value in FEEDING OUR CHILDREN, it helps to know what’s up for debate in both budget processes and where motivation can be pushed and pulled towards your cause. This is stressful, but also gives me a clear and measurable target for my rage and a goal. I recommend focusing on a few particular issues and staying abreast of them in your state or even your town. The government already doesn’t work well for the people who need it the most, and it’s about to get a whole lot worse so write your own Project 2029. Maybe this will inspire the Democrats to have a clear vision for how they will actually improve efficiency (it is badly needed) in our public services, administration, and so our faith in lawmakers.
Since my personal life is also extremely stressful, I am actively seeking out writing, music, action, and news that engages in my mind in helpful thoughts - helpful because they offer different perspectives that motivate, clarify and energize and add knowledge or insight into the issues facing me personally, along with us as a society. Because I am lonely and alone, the stories and voices of others grappling with personal and public struggles keep me company and maybe some of them will help you next week.
Here’s some
of things that have helped me in the past couple weeks:
Paris Paloma’s live performance of “Labour” in Washington DC with the crowd singing along
Lyz Lenz’s Dingus of the Week - there’s also a Dingus Madness with the championship being between Musk and Vance
I signed up for Stitch Fix since I have very little to look forward to currently. My first outfit just arrived and it all worked and I will look put together without any mental exertion. I need to dress like I’m going to work to keep up my spirits - it’s a uniform.
The “Adolescence” series was horrifying and not particularly helpful as a distraction, but connecting the visceral hate I feel towards me from men on a personal level to the wider almost visceral hate towards women in general gives us a clear lens to analyze motivation which unfortunately the Democratic Party establishment failed at this fall. Read Lauren Bates, author of Men Who Hate Women, and listen to Tressie McMillan Cottom on the NYT Opinion podcast “What Man’s Man Politics is Doing to America” to confirm that you aren’t crazy for thinking the air is thick with misogyny. It is.
For anyone who is worried about a loved one’s substance use or destructive behavior and paralyzed by despair and fear that nothing you say or do is right, I highly recommend Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change.
On a related note, Jessica Lahey’s Addiction Inoculation will also help if you’re worried about the impact of someone’s substance use, including your own, on children. She shares short video snippets of the science-backed tools for helping address what feels like an overwhelming and impossible problem, particularly since our culture accepts alcohol abuse as socially acceptable and tells us there’s nothing we can do but wait until someone “hits rock bottom” - this is a terrifyingly impossible thing for a parent to accept.
I don’t know much about Kiesza, but she is talented and hilarious on social media and neither her or her music takes themselves too seriously, but also neither are silly.
