So something I've noticed in myself, that I think a lot of people are dealing with because of all the current issues going on, is a feeling of intense dread and helplessness, which not only affects your mental health and wellbeing negatively, but also prevents you from actually taking any steps towards action, or at least makes it a lot more difficult to do so.
You get so overwhelmed, scared, and upset that it sort of paralyzes you from doing anything. For me, that manifested as a combination of the feeling of "nothing I do is ever going to change anything so there's no point in even trying, I will just suffer and struggle for no reason and everything will still be bad and will get worse forever" and "there are so many things wrong everywhere and no one cares but me, if I step out of my bubble of cope and comfort I'll have the weight of the whole fucking world on my shoulders and I can't handle that". So that leads to me just kind of sitting there and feeling worse and worse, which helps no one. And I really suspect I'm not alone in this situation. So, here's a list of things you can do to help both yourself and the world around you in a more effective, constructive way.
1. DO. NOT. DO. IT. ALONE. this is by far the most important one.
A big issue for me was feeling like no one else cared about the issues that I cared about, or at least didn't care enough to actually make change and fight for what they believe in. This made me feel like no one was in my corner and I would always be fighting alone. However, this is not the case. There are so many people that care about making the world a better, kinder, safer place, and are willing to fight for it, and are CURRENTLY fighting for it. I say this from experience, things like protests, clubs, movements, etc are INCREDIBLY empowering, and anyone who says they "do nothing to help" is wrong. I recently went to a protest against ICE, and seeing how many other people were there, how many people were angry, how many people were willing to fight, it made me feel a lot more hopeful than I'd felt in a long time. No one can do it alone, no one is expected to do it alone, and the more we group up, the more powerful we become.
2. Something is always better than nothing. Try to do a little more every day.
Take a moment to imagine something with me real quick. Imagine you walk into a room and it's completely fucking destroyed. Furniture broken. Dirt and mess everywhere. Puddles of water on the floor. Broken glass. Trash and dust everywhere. Total disaster. Total mess. The question is, how do you start cleaning it? Do you start by sweeping the floor? Do you start by fixing some of the furniture? Do you start by mopping up the water? Do you start by dusting and disinfecting the nightstand? What do you do FIRST Just take a moment to lock in your answer before you keep reading.
Got your answer? Okay good, because it doesn't matter what you do first, as long as you start cleaning it in some way. It is impossible for you to clean the entire room at once, you have to start somewhere. Something has to be step one. It doesn't matter where you start as long as you continue your effort. This is the way it is with today's world. Obviously, the more that you can do, the better, but something is ALWAYS better than nothing, and don't feel discouraged to do something even if it isn't as big or impactful as something someone else might be doing. Everything helps, even if it doesn't seem like it at first. If you can go to a protest, good! If you can donate, great! If you can make posts spreading awareness and educate others on the situation, awesome! Take it step by step, strive for improvement not perfection, and try to do a bit more everyday.
3. Focus on the good as well as the bad.
There is only so much that the human mind can take, and if you're constantly exposed to nothing but tragedy and bad news, that will eventually wear you down to a breaking point. Yes, there's a ton of shit going wrong, but there are still good things happening in the world. There is still hope. And it's not escapism or blind optimism to acknowledge that as long as you're acknowledging it not to shield yourself from the bad stuff, but to motivate yourself to make the world better and make more changes. We always need something to fight for, and there is still plenty worth fighting for. It is okay to seek out good news. It is okay to acknowledge victories and good things happening, as long as you're still being realistic and taking action. It is also okay to enjoy things, use healthy coping mechanisms, and have fun while also maintaining political rage and fighting for what you believe in.
4. Educate yourself as much as possible, and don't just look at the present. Even if it's unpleasant
This bit of advice is less "nice and friendly" than what I've said above, but it's incredibly necessary to say. Education is power, knowledge is power, and it's important that you learn as much about as many things going on as you can, including the history of that thing. Now, what you learn isn't always going to be pleasant, but you have to know it anyway. Educate yourself on the culture, traditions, and history of countries, minorities, and demographics that are being oppressed. Really immerse yourself in them. Educate yourself on world events, on nature, on pollution, on corruption, on anything that feels relevant, because it probably is. Ignorance fuels oppression, and you can help cut off its fuel source.
Reblog this, and feel free to add any other tips and advice that I may not have talked about. Stay safe, you're loved and valued, and fuck facism.
