You are so spot on with this. I had to really re-evaluate my social media intake over the past year and decided to focus only on one (Substack) and while I do follow some political content on here I also follow my favorite authors, artists, etc. I can’t stay in the “breaking news” cycle 24/7. I took your advice from your Resistance Live broadcast several months ago and got offline and into my community and started volunteering with two local organizations. It feels good to actually be DOING something even if it is small. All of this to say, your work is making a difference….Thank you for everything that you do!
Yes to every word of this essay! There are content creators who I used to find helpful, who have turned into factories of clickbait content that I now generally avoid. They increase the amount of content by making longer pieces then releasing bits and pieces with varying titles and headlines so if you were to watch every video they put out, you would see the exact same "urgent" and "new" and upsetting content over and over.
I appreciate the way you both provide information so we can stay informed, but also provide us with concrete steps to help blunt the effects of this regime where we live.
Do what you need to do to protect your well-being--when you model self care you are also helping others more than you know. You are doing so much! It's enough.
This. Yes...... 100%!!! I was just saying to my husband over dinner last evening on our back patio, for the first time in awhile because we finally have decent weather and can do it again, listening to the soothing sounds of nature in the background, that we need to do more of this. Taking the time to rejuvenate and recharge will actually help us reset our equilibrium which, in turn, both restores both our souls and renews our energy to continue the fight that we know we must fight. It is not turning a blind eye to the dangers all around us, but staying in fight or flight mode 24/7 is not only not healthy, it is actually counterproductive to our being able to maintain both our sanity and ability to function well. Thank you, Elizabeth, for putting this into words so eloquently today.
Heather Cox Richardson, Joyce Vance, Robert Hubbell and Jessica Craven all post something every day but not uncommonly that something is a photo of a lake or Joyce's chickens with the comment that there will be no post today. That's a good reminder to me to go look at nature or call my friend who has pet chickens or just turn off the computer.
You are so spot on with this. I had to really re-evaluate my social media intake over the past year and decided to focus only on one (Substack) and while I do follow some political content on here I also follow my favorite authors, artists, etc. I can’t stay in the “breaking news” cycle 24/7. I took your advice from your Resistance Live broadcast several months ago and got offline and into my community and started volunteering with two local organizations. It feels good to actually be DOING something even if it is small. All of this to say, your work is making a difference….Thank you for everything that you do!
Yes to every word of this essay! There are content creators who I used to find helpful, who have turned into factories of clickbait content that I now generally avoid. They increase the amount of content by making longer pieces then releasing bits and pieces with varying titles and headlines so if you were to watch every video they put out, you would see the exact same "urgent" and "new" and upsetting content over and over.
I appreciate the way you both provide information so we can stay informed, but also provide us with concrete steps to help blunt the effects of this regime where we live.
Do what you need to do to protect your well-being--when you model self care you are also helping others more than you know. You are doing so much! It's enough.
This. Yes...... 100%!!! I was just saying to my husband over dinner last evening on our back patio, for the first time in awhile because we finally have decent weather and can do it again, listening to the soothing sounds of nature in the background, that we need to do more of this. Taking the time to rejuvenate and recharge will actually help us reset our equilibrium which, in turn, both restores both our souls and renews our energy to continue the fight that we know we must fight. It is not turning a blind eye to the dangers all around us, but staying in fight or flight mode 24/7 is not only not healthy, it is actually counterproductive to our being able to maintain both our sanity and ability to function well. Thank you, Elizabeth, for putting this into words so eloquently today.
Heather Cox Richardson, Joyce Vance, Robert Hubbell and Jessica Craven all post something every day but not uncommonly that something is a photo of a lake or Joyce's chickens with the comment that there will be no post today. That's a good reminder to me to go look at nature or call my friend who has pet chickens or just turn off the computer.
I have nothing to add to the well written comments above. Agree 100% and have already been implementing changes. Your article is great.