Two simple tools for resisting overwhelm and staying in action
The Trump administration wants to "flood the zone", overwhelming us into submission, these practices can help you protect your sanity.
The stakes are high in this political moment. My work is deeply political, but I’m no strategy expert or pundit. My realm is that of the mind, heart and spirit. I focus not so much on the questions of “How do we understand what’s happening?” and “What should we do about it?”.
Instead, my focus is on questions like, “Who do we need to be as leaders right now?”, “How do we move beyond our fears and into action?”, “What does integrity look like in times like these?” and, “How do we bring our values, like courage, compassion, and solidarity to bear to meet this moment?”
As we navigate the assaults of Trump’s first two weeks I’ve noticed a theme in myself and my sessions with my coaching clients:
At times, our minds are running freaking wild.
Overwhelm is a undertow in our days, threatening to pull us off balance.
And of course, this is their goal. The administration has been very clear that they aim to “flood the zone”, overwhelming us to the point of despair, numbness, confusion— and ultimately helplessness against their agenda.
From a place of overwhelm, where our minds are running on overtime and caught in places like worry and confusion, it’s difficult to focus on anything in particular.
Thereby, it’s difficult to respond to what’s happening in ways that are in integrity for us.
So, I want to offer some brief, imperfect guidance, through two simple practices that have helped my clients and me to settle and center ourselves in the last two weeks, so that we are not so easily “flooded”. So that we can take in what’s happening and maintain our capacity to respond with integrity.
1. Bring in the wisdom of your body (and breath)
It’s really freaking hard to think clearly when we’re scared. To bring our brain back online, it helps to start by dropping our attention down into our bodies, and SLOW DOWN.
I know this can feel almost impossible when we’re activated, but it’s nonetheless true.
To do this, you can simply stop in your tracks and take 3 deep breaths.
You can wiggle, shake, or shimmy your body.
You can put on a song, focus on the music, and move your body in any way that feels good.
If you can work out— run, walk, swim, hit a punching bag, whatever gets you out of your head and into your body, even if it’s only for a few minutes.
And if you want, here is a short meditation that I often use with clients when they need support to quiet their minds and tune into their body’s wisdom:
Once you bring your attention back to your body, it’s likely you’ll have an easier time focusing. So after doing this, you might ask yourself a simple question along the lines of:
“If I could respond to [whatever is worrying me] in a way I was really proud of, what might I do next?”
Make that next step small and doable. Then, go do that thing.
2. Give your mind a place to focus and an easy path to action.
Overwhelm can often be really vague. We are feeling a lot and our thoughts are frenzied, so we’re not quite able to think about what’s happening or what to do about it. If dropping into your body doesn’t lead you to a next step, another thing you can try is to organize your thoughts.
This exercise is meant to give your mind a place to focus and break you free from spinning in circles:
Grab a piece of paper, and make a simple list: What are you afraid of and worried about right now? Don’t make an exhaustive list of everything that has ever scared you, but in the simplest terms possible, what are the things getting to you right now? (ex: I’m worried I might lose my job, I’m afraid for the safety of my family, I’m worried I don’t know how to contribute in a meaningful way, I’m freaked out that maybe we’re living through a coup?)
Ufff… Notice what your body is doing in response to this list. Is your jaw or butt clenched? Is your heart pounding? Notice it, take a few breaths, then take a second to honor that worry and fear (this is as simple as acknowledging that, whether these are imminent more abstract threats, your fear is trying to keep you safe). If this feels impossible, try the exercise above to drop into your body, then come back.
Next, look at your list, and circle one thing to focus on. Ideally, let it be something you can do something about.
Last look for a small but satisfying step you can take to assuage that fear. Some questions you can ask yourself are:
If attending to my physical/mental health could make this easier for me to handle, what might I do?
Do I actually know that what I’m worrying about is true? If not, how can I get some of the information I’m missing? If so, what’s one thing I can do to prepare for or address it?
Is there a backup plan I want to have in place if what I’m worried about comes to pass?
The point of this is not to “solve” your worry/fear in one step, but to give you some space from this feeling of overwhelm (so you can do more about it later).
So, If you’re worried about losing your job, is there a call you can make to find out how real this risk actually is? If you’re afraid for someone you love is there a step you can take in the direction of creating even 2% more safety for them? If you’re freaked about the loss of democracy, is there a relationship you want to invest in that would bring security into your life if things continue downhill? Is there protest or organizing meeting you can go to?
Often the small next step is way simpler than we think and right under our nose. You’ve maybe already thought to do it, and wrote it off as “too small”. Identify that next small step, then go take it. I’ve been a coach for almost ten years and I’ve been amazed over and over again how much clarity can open up when we take that almost-too-obvious next step.
Both of these tools can seem deceptively small or simple, but they can help us regain agency when we feel helpless, and protect ourselves from moving through our lives in state of overwhelm.
The stakes are high right now, and we need to be as present as we can be. We’ve got this. One step at a time.
Let’s hang out! Here are some ways to work with me this year:
🎵 From March to May, I’m co-leading a 9-part in-person podcast club and group singing program called “Singing the Great Turning” here, in Berkeley, California. Come join us for some deep-dive discussions about the topics we cover in the podcast, and to sing and practice WTR together in community.
🌀I’m gearing up to launch my new membership model coaching community for visionary climate leaders called the Soulful Climate Leaders Circle. There will be group coaching, guest teachers, community building and peer support and more… Respond to this to get on the advanced invitation list!
✏️ In May, I’m co-teaching a Work That Reconnects and Writers retreat at the Hollyhock retreat center on Cortes Island in British Columbia.
Some things I love:
🚫👑 Required reading/listening from Ezra Klein: “He has always wanted to be king […] If we believe he is already king, we will be likelier to let him govern as a king. Don’t believe him” (it’s also up in his podcast feed for free).
🍪 It’s Girl Scout Cookie season! It’s a hard time for trans kids, so give a trans girl scout some extra joy this year, and stock up on thin-mints while you’re at it.
🔗Secure your s**t! I shared about this last week but it’s so important I’m adding it again… this digital security checklist was designed to walk even the least tech-savvy among us through how to protect themselves against increased surveillance.
I’m grateful to be in this Great Turning with you!
-Jess
I love this! Thanks for doing the work of turning the nebulous storm of anxieties into approachable steps