for the long haul
this time around, we're diving deep
I’ve been floating through the week in a numb haze and I’m sure many of you have been, too. Like most Americans who didn’t vote for a fascist, maybe you’ve spent a lot of this week wondering how we got here. Perhaps you’ve felt silly for feeling hopeful. You might just be fed up with our political system in general and are burnt out on living in a two-party system that rarely gets it right.
Like me, you’re probably feeling a mix of all three, and if that’s the case, now might be a good moment to exhale. You’ve probably been holding your breath in a post-election anxiety spiral where everything feels bottle-necked between your racing heart and your throat with a lump in it. Conceivably, this might the first time you’ve contemplated giving yourself a bit of ease in the last few days.
Take it.
Because if the election results have had your cortisol through the roof, it’s time to figure out how to channel that energy. First, because no one can live in fight or flight for a prolonged period of time, and second, that energy needs to go towards however you’re going to survive and impact the next four years.
This isn’t 2016 - pink pussy hats, nasty women stickers, and marching through the streets to look good on Instagram isn’t going to cut it. The algorithms are going to serve you a menu of atrocities (as they currently are) and you will be paralyzed to act when faced with one terrible thing after another. It will continue to feel all consuming and like too much to bear.
I won’t sit here and claim to know any or all of the answers, but I’m happy to share with you how I’m quelling and channeling my post-election worry and fear.
I’m laser focusing on causes I care about and that I can see myself working towards for the rest of my life.
Unlike modern “activism” which often unfolds by way of sharing a social media post that 50-90% of your followers have already seen because we all live in digital echo-chambers, it’s time to think about the long-term, enduring, action-oriented change that you can create.
For me, it’s reproductive health, specifically maternal health. The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among developed countries, and the postpartum period is the most dangerous time for new mothers. With the new administration’s obsession with women’s bodies, Project 2025 could significantly diminish maternal healthcare access, increasing risks for maternal and infant mortality, especially among already vulnerable groups. This would only deepen existing health inequities and could prevent new and expecting mothers from receiving critical postpartum care necessary for their well-being and recovery.
Last year I did training to become a postpartum doula and have supported a few families in the early postpartum period, a moment when hormonal fluctuations and sleepless nights deeply impact a mother’s mental health. I’m in the middle of becoming an international board certified lactation consultant, because I have first hand experience with the impact breastfeeding has on your mental health and anxiety and want to help women on that journey. And finally, I’m considering eventually transitioning fully into a healthcare career in women’s health, because I fully believe that individuals in this field can make a huge impact on patients, even when the systems miss the mark.
There will be countless other critical issues demanding attention, and I’m trusting that many of you reading this are already committed to tackling them. While our focuses may be different, I know that it will be equally essential. Here’s a few long-term causes to consider:
gun violence
LGBTQ+ rights
climate change
racial justice
policing reform
education access and equality
immigration
democratic reform
food insecurity
These aren’t small endeavors or easy solutions, but if we can each find a place to dig in and make a difference— slowly and imperfectly — perhaps our collective efforts will move us forward in big ways.
With everything feeling urgent and overwhelming, maybe this is exactly what we need: many of us, committed to something, willing to chip away at it for the long haul.
Take a walk, throw on this playlist, and have a think about where you’ll invest your time.
<3
Meghan