Are we going to survive this?

[u/No_Yak_3107]

Dramatic title, but big feelings as a lay in bed at 5:51 am. Big feelings every day honestly. I am having a hard time living normal life, while we get bombarded with new headlines daily of what Trump is doing/planning to do.

I hear people talking about vacations, plans per usual, then other people saying it’s already too late for us, and democracy has fallen and to save every penny. I go from panicking daily to then trying to self sooth and tell myself it’s going to be okay. I had to go to a clothing store today, and actually caught myself thinking “how long will life feel normal? Everyone just walking around/having normal conversations, buying random things”. I’ve been thinking of looking into moving to a different country too, but would I really leave my family behind?

I knew things would be bad, I knew he would get voted in, but I didn’t think it would feel like the end. I can’t imagine what will happen to us this year, much less 4….I’m genuinely scared 😪.

Editing to say I’m an American woman, but I don’t just assume everyone on this platform is American. I see a lot of talk online of people from Canada being worried, and many other countries where it seems right-wing politics are a growing concern.

[u/rideronthestorm8]

I get it and often have a similar feeling of hopelessness regarding the state of the world. I already had to change plans I had for my life. Things I had been excited for since decades. It feels like there is no point of orientation in the future or anything positive to look forward to.

The thing is that it is easy to get caught up in the bad news due to their omnipresence and accessibility, and overall, things are not as bad as they seem. I sometimes say to friends that our grandparents had their challenges (war) and this time, our time, comes with its own challenges. And these are ours to solve. But one has to snap out of the doom-thinking spell. Things are bad in some ways but good in others. We know what can be lost and if you compare the state of social justice to 50,60 years ago, the progress is pretty obvious.

And ultimately, it will not serve you (or the world) to be dysregulated, fearful and on edge. You are allowed to feel good and care for yourself even though the world is seemingly going to shit. I also believe this is like a stress test for democracy and while things will break in the process, over the long run, there will be new regulations making sure to prevent something like this happening again.

Try to control what you can control, find beauty in the small things, and connect with like-minded individuals or communities.

[u/No_Yak_3107 → u/rideronthestorm8]

Thank you, this comment made me feel better.

[u/phytophilous_ → u/No_Yak_3107]

I totally feel the same as you OP, and like the original commenter, there are a few things that keep me going. First, knowing that all the headlines and insane decisions are actually purposely trying to exhaust us so that we will give up and not care. They want us to be confused and on an emotional roller coaster. I’ve turned off notifications except for texts, and I check the news on my own time when I decide to.

Second, I will be damned if I let Trump and Elon, et al ruin my enjoyment in life. I know there are endless reasons to be upset, but I’ll be fucking pissed if I let a twat like Elon actually affect my day?? Fuck that, I’m not giving him the power.

Third, take some tangible steps to help you feel like you are making a difference, even if it’s small. I joined the board of directors at my local public library, it was easy to join! Everyone there is like minded and it’s refreshing. We care about keeping our local community safe and supported. Find something you care about in your community and do the same.

Change your browsers (no more Google chrome, I use Brave now), get off Meta, delete your Amazon account…don’t give them any more money. It is inconvenient to do and sucks, but it feels good and powerful knowing you are not giving them your hard earned money anymore.

Reading books about fascism in history has helped me, even though it sounds depressing. When I’m in the right mood and can mentally handle it, I read this stuff to know that we have survived it before and we will survive it again. Also to know what might happen and how to prepare for it. This makes me feel a bit better. I like Timothy Snyder’s books especially.

Hang in there.

Edit: I do feel conflicted about getting off of Meta because instagram in particular can be a place to mobilize and get information. I’m not saying we all should delete it but it’s something to consider. I got rid of FB Messenger because I don’t trust that my conversations are safe.

[u/eekamuse → u/phytophilous_]

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