AI6YR Ben
Question I ask myself every day now:
Is this distressing/upsetting/terrible information something I can influence or modify at the moment, or is there some action I need to take because of it?
Yes? Do something about it.
No? File it away and act on it when/if the time comes.
Futurist Jim Carroll
@ai6yr I don't think you need to rush these decisions. I think there is a bit of time to decompress, recharge, and rebuild at a personal level. So many have invested so much emotional capital in this current time, and it's massively difficult to suddenly manage the complexities. My feeling is the big seismic trends are now unfolding, and we don't yet know how things will unfold (though we all have an idea). It will take *years* for all of this to unfold. So what we do at this specific minute, day or week doesn't much matter - what does matter is screwing our heads back on right. FWIW.
Futurist Jim Carroll
@tiamat271 @ai6yr Completely. I'm also in Canada, so I'm only directly impacted. So my approach certainly comes from my current reality. I do understand that millions are directly, adversely and quickly impacted.
I did put this together yesterday with my thoughts. Even those would be of marginal use at best for those who are already feeling the impact, and for whom reality will quickly become worse. I don't think I'm equipped to speak to that with solutions. I'm lost.
Jenny
@ai6yr @jimcarroll I think that’s a good and sensible approach; however it’s important to remember that it also includes an element of privilege. For example, a person of a certain privileged gender and ethnicity may feel that the “threat” is still abstract and in the future (How will this affect the stock market? How will this affect gas prices?). Nothing has really changed in that person’s world yet so yes, there is time to settle down and think about those issues before anything gets bad. 1/2
Jenny
@ai6yr @jimcarroll My partner, for example, is of the “don’t panic yet, let’s wait and see what happens” mentality. He has the privilege to do so. But for those who aren’t of a certain privileged gender or ethnicity, the threats are concrete & already present. Even though the POS isn’t president yet, his win has given permission for his cult to target, harass, and threaten people now. It’s already happening. So be calm and don’t panic, if you can. But recognize some people lack that privilege./2
AI6YR Ben
@jimcarroll Thank you! Yes. Step back and think strategy, rather than panic immediately (which is what evolved to do as humans). I mean, maybe panic in the long term LOL, but doesn't help to be completely overwhelmed here at week one.
Jenny
@jimcarroll Just my two cents that you, random Internet stranger, can take or leave as you see fit. Again, I appreciate your support from afar and the website you put together to help people cope! Thank you! ❤️
(PS-Sorry for the numerous posts, I wish my instance would increase character limits!)
5/end
Futurist Jim Carroll
@tiamat271 this is actually all helpful. My daughter in law is a therapist doing a lot of counselling and so I am open to advice. I suspect I will turn this into a post in the not too distant future.
P.s. I run my own mastodon server so i have it set for 2,500 characters. (-‘
Jenny
@jimcarroll From a resiliency perspective, unchecked optimism can encourage avoidance and poor risk appraisal, which leaves people unprepared or in denial (like toxic positivity). Instead, the MH field would encourage realism: acknowledge the negatives AND also look for the positives. That approach is more likely to lead to effective coping and resiliency.
2/
Jenny
@jimcarroll Re: anger, muting/hiding anger can be counterproductive. Anger will come out one way or another, often in explosive, aggressive, or self-destructive ways when it is suppressed. Muting/hiding anger can also send the message that anger is shameful, wrong, or unhelpful (this is a message women have internalized for decades).
3/
Jenny
@jimcarroll Instead, we would validate that anger is normal, can be appropriate for the context, and can give us drive/motivation to make changes. We would encourage people to express their anger in healthy ways, rather than hide or minimize it. Of course, we may hide/mute anger in specific contexts or around specific people as appropriate, but as a general rule, it’s better to learn how to express it in a safe, healthy way rather than muting/hiding it.
4/
Jenny
@jimcarroll I’m lost too, but I appreciate your empathy and support from afar. I read through your website when Ben shared it yesterday, you included a lot of good strategies and recommendations. If you’re open to feedback, there were 2 things that stood out to me as slightly off from my mental health perspective as a psychologist: be an optimist, and mute/hide your anger.
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