I am relatively new to this platform and I’m not exactly sure how I stumbled upon you, but your playlist is so interesting to me. A friend and I drove 70 miles to march for International Women’s Day and on my playlist we listened to that day was Ball of Confusion! Such a perfect fit for these times. “That’s what the world is today….” Thank you for sharing!
I felt that... maybe you gotta bang some pans around or yell or dance hard... first... and if those tears come don't stop them... I sometimes have to let all my rage roll all through me then the scream-tears come and then a holy sleep follows... but we all do our processing differently... find your way darling.. trust it..
It has been a long time since I have been able to cry. The SSRI seems to arrest my fall into the darkness. Perhaps the need was not as overwhelming as it has been. It hasn’t been much of a problem lately. I find myself choking and tearing up a lot.
I’ve likened the current US situation to being in a toxic, abusive relationship. Writ large. The abuser demanding control and power tries to keep you off-balance, caught up in circular no-win arguments, isolates you, chips away with cutting remarks, controls the money and decisions, etc.. And so it goes, but we’re not alone; we’re in the millions and won’t be cowed. Great piece for “the meantime”, however long it lasts. Thanks for this valuable advice.
This is a fantastic analogy. So many of us can relate to the personal power dynamics of an abusive relationship and not necessarily just the romantic kind. We’ve all known tyrannical bosses and schoolyard bullies. It’s just such a shock when the abuser is now the president (lowercase preferred) and we, the citizens, are the victims.
I am gardening and getting ready for all that goodness.Each day a few more things done towards having a larger garden.I earn my scroll time by doing a thing I love.
Brilliant piece, Joy! I’m in Australia with a sister in NYC & a nephew in Nashville. I feel like I’m at the beginning of Covid all over again. 5 years anniversary this week…
Thanks, great advice! Distraction and despair can also lead to accidents, I just broke a bone in my hand, on a door frame of all dumb things, because I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.
Be careful darling.... and we all might need to slow down a bit during times like these... I know I fumble around and bang my shoulder down the hallway more when my circuits are tapped out.. sending a big ole Joy hug your way!
“This is precisely the time when artists go to work.“ - Toni Morrison
Psychologist Melanie Joy talks about how distressing media and events can be for highly sensitive people, and how our intense emotions can turn us away from things we desire to change in the world..."
Writing this was me trying to step off the panic treadmill for a minute.
If your brain’s got 97 tabs open and your body’s feeling like its running on some stinky survival-mode fumes… same.
This Sunday I’m hosting something called The Deep Revival—90 minutes of breath, beats, and being human. Movement + rest. No pressure. Maybe some big exhales maybe some collective screaming/howling in our houses online... and it's a Pay-what-you-can kind of thing.
If your system’s asking for a reset, you’re so welcome... check it out here:
The only thing I'd add is that fear has taken over the whole house, leaving food and dirty dishes on the counter tops, plying loud music and partying all night. I've moved to the guest house.
wow wow wow! just wow! powerful and so well written - as a therapist i see every day the assault this “situationship” is having on our collective nervous system and i agree whole heartedly that now is the time for all of us to make self care a priority so we don’t fold into freeze or fawn responses. now is the time to work with ourselves so that we are able to maintain a sustained energy for a productive fight. brava Joy!!
Here's a playlist I made today to help keeping on keeping on... let me know if you got some other tunes that are helping! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2BolQz3lrnADzM7JJYU2Xv?si=ab6L4nV1QEGQPtoqujUCow&pi=JGcmHDcXSeWSH
We need a little rage against the machine
And Rise Against.
I am relatively new to this platform and I’m not exactly sure how I stumbled upon you, but your playlist is so interesting to me. A friend and I drove 70 miles to march for International Women’s Day and on my playlist we listened to that day was Ball of Confusion! Such a perfect fit for these times. “That’s what the world is today….” Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for this!!!!
I've been loving Alexandra Blakely's album Wails (Songs for Grief). It's getting me through lately!
https://open.spotify.com/album/3woXWO4dlKR3XjrprstZAE?si=NO3LzIi3SC-rKD0B_xUGuQ
History Repeating!
I’d like to add one. Have a good cry when you need to, when everything gets all bottled up. It’s an excellent release — and relief.
I have been trying to cry about all this, and I can't. Something is frozen...
I felt that... maybe you gotta bang some pans around or yell or dance hard... first... and if those tears come don't stop them... I sometimes have to let all my rage roll all through me then the scream-tears come and then a holy sleep follows... but we all do our processing differently... find your way darling.. trust it..
…here come close, let me hold you till you thaw….
Thank you, Amelia! Abrazos,
Mel 💙💙💙
It has been a long time since I have been able to cry. The SSRI seems to arrest my fall into the darkness. Perhaps the need was not as overwhelming as it has been. It hasn’t been much of a problem lately. I find myself choking and tearing up a lot.
I’ve likened the current US situation to being in a toxic, abusive relationship. Writ large. The abuser demanding control and power tries to keep you off-balance, caught up in circular no-win arguments, isolates you, chips away with cutting remarks, controls the money and decisions, etc.. And so it goes, but we’re not alone; we’re in the millions and won’t be cowed. Great piece for “the meantime”, however long it lasts. Thanks for this valuable advice.
Absofuckinglutely
This is a fantastic analogy. So many of us can relate to the personal power dynamics of an abusive relationship and not necessarily just the romantic kind. We’ve all known tyrannical bosses and schoolyard bullies. It’s just such a shock when the abuser is now the president (lowercase preferred) and we, the citizens, are the victims.
I am gardening and getting ready for all that goodness.Each day a few more things done towards having a larger garden.I earn my scroll time by doing a thing I love.
Brilliant piece, Joy! I’m in Australia with a sister in NYC & a nephew in Nashville. I feel like I’m at the beginning of Covid all over again. 5 years anniversary this week…
Thank you, thank you!
Thanks, great advice! Distraction and despair can also lead to accidents, I just broke a bone in my hand, on a door frame of all dumb things, because I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.
Be careful darling.... and we all might need to slow down a bit during times like these... I know I fumble around and bang my shoulder down the hallway more when my circuits are tapped out.. sending a big ole Joy hug your way!
Nice. I gotta get me one of those.
“This is precisely the time when artists go to work.“ - Toni Morrison
Psychologist Melanie Joy talks about how distressing media and events can be for highly sensitive people, and how our intense emotions can turn us away from things we desire to change in the world..."
Hear podcast with journalist Rebecca Solnit, and other people: How we can resist despair and keep creating even in turbulent times https://thecreativemind.substack.com/p/how-we-can-resist-despair-and-keep
Thank you! All great suggestions to help deal with the chaotic situation we are in.
Hi Joy Lynn - from another Joy Lynn. This is exactly what I needed today. Thank you!
Writing this was me trying to step off the panic treadmill for a minute.
If your brain’s got 97 tabs open and your body’s feeling like its running on some stinky survival-mode fumes… same.
This Sunday I’m hosting something called The Deep Revival—90 minutes of breath, beats, and being human. Movement + rest. No pressure. Maybe some big exhales maybe some collective screaming/howling in our houses online... and it's a Pay-what-you-can kind of thing.
If your system’s asking for a reset, you’re so welcome... check it out here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-deep-revival-dance-church-deep-rest-for-the-age-of-overwhelm-tickets-1315702464489?aff=oddtdtcreator
The only thing I'd add is that fear has taken over the whole house, leaving food and dirty dishes on the counter tops, plying loud music and partying all night. I've moved to the guest house.
Exactly what I thought when I read that!
Thank you, Joy. I really needed your message today. So grateful.
Thank you for writing this as a reminder to many. You have some good self care ideas. Many I am already implementing. Thank you for your share.
wow wow wow! just wow! powerful and so well written - as a therapist i see every day the assault this “situationship” is having on our collective nervous system and i agree whole heartedly that now is the time for all of us to make self care a priority so we don’t fold into freeze or fawn responses. now is the time to work with ourselves so that we are able to maintain a sustained energy for a productive fight. brava Joy!!