With so much happening, and at such a rapid-fire pace, it’s nearly impossible for the average person to keep up. Even members of the media are struggling with this endless torrent of weird, outrageous, and often insane behavior generated by this current administration.

Every day is a new shock to the system. I do not exaggerate. Updates are out of date nearly as soon as they’re covered and posted, with readers scrambling to keep up with each new eruption. Gaslighting — a conscious attempt to confuse and distract — is a daily occurrence. “Look here, not there” is a ploy used by those with something to hide or an agenda of subterfuge. As a result, paying attention becomes a full time job and a daily drain on our capacity to function normally.

There is good news.

©Lora Fisher Photography

People are turning out in record numbers to voice their resistance to attempts to undermine our democracy by the current administration. People are mobilizing and forming coalitions. Our sense of the common good is overriding individual concerns, with the realization that what threatens one of us, threatens us all.

Folks who operate from a place of compassion and/or empathy are probably having the hardest time of all. We struggle to tune out the onslaught of negative news. Many face repeated bouts of exhaustion as a result.

The message, as always, is to find ways to decompress and take care of ourselves, and to be mindful of following the endless drama to the exclusion of our own mental and physical health. Finding a creative outlet is the absolute best antidote, so whatever it is that refreshes your mind and spirit, do it. Your health and relationships depend upon it.

 

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
Albert Einstein

©Lora Fisher Photography

Obsessively following the news is like taking a bath in stress hormones.
I prefer actual water.

 

Are You Being Gaslighted? (Robin Stern Ph.D., Psychology Today)

Donald Trump is ‘gaslighting’ all of us (Frida Ghitis, CNN Opinion)

Is Overactive Empathy Ruining Your Life? (Opinion, Anna Sayce)

Indivisible — A Practical Guide for resisting the Trump agenda

Lora