It’s going to be a long, painful haul for those of us who believe that love can trump hate, and we need to find effective ways to handle anxiety–and fear– along the way.  Because when we’re faced with the kind of repressive regime that DT and his partner, MP, have in mind, fear is the right response.  Fear can get the best of us, as I well know, an anxiety can result. Fear and anxiety can be destructive forces OR we can let them motivate us. Yes, using them can actually handle them. Handle anxiety by using it? Oh yes!

Political Action

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like sitting around and waiting for bad things to happen. I’m going to fight with political action. Even small activities like signing petitions, sending emails, making phone calls or reposting ideas for political action on social media can reduce feelings of helplessness.Donate if you can.

You think it’s too little? I don’t, maybe because I’m a Baby Boomer and the impact of protests in the 1960s was very clear to me.

If you have something bigger in mind than making your voice heard, go for it. Just don’t sit back and wait for that repressive regime to take our rights away. Fight back.

Spiritual Ideals

Keep those spiritual ideas front and center of your life, whether it’s the goal of being at peace, promoting love or something else.  Spending time each day meditating on these beautiful ideals relaxes are bodies and in fact, can train the mind to keep that focus going and then to act on them. For me, my spiritual ideas of love and peace require me to act politically against what I see as a hateful and repressive regime. They require me to put my values of inclusiveness and compassion for others front and center. Some of my own anxiety abates when I know that I am acting in congruence with my spiritual beliefs.

If you don’t meditate, simply thinking about them for a few minutes a day can have the same effect. And prayer. Prayer is always helpful.

Cook

I love the creative activity of cooking delicious, healthy food. Just going through the steps of washing, slicing, measuring, sauteeing–whatever the recipe calls for–can be calming. And so can the act of eating a yummy meal you’ve just prepared.

“Doctor, please, some more of these…

As the the Rolling Stones sang in Mother’s Little Helper, there are always pharmaceuticals. And because we live in the magical state of California, those pharmaceuticals include legal medical marijuana as prescribed by smart and savvy physicians. On the Saturday afternoon after the election, our medical marijuana collective was doing a booming business.

Whether it’s a drug developed by Big Pharma or some edibles from the collective, medicine can be helpful. Unless your doctor has prescribed a daily dose of something, I’d use medicine sparingly, but use it I would. And do. Just not enough to get chemically dependent.

And to anyone like, say, maybe Sessions, who has demonized marijuana as some devil weed, you couldn’t be more wrong. Legions of chemo patients and even those with terrible muscle pains who use a THC salve to get almost complete relief KNOW that marijuana can be effective medicine. You show your ignorance by thinking it’s some evil sin to be forbidden.

Pet your pet

My little sweetie, Riley, is always a comfort in tough times. I love to spend time cuddling with him, walking him, playing with him. He makes me laugh and reminds me that love really does trump hate.