The current political climate has made several of us uneasy and worried about our own safety. I recognize that, to some, this is an understatement. Many of us might be straight up terrified for ourselves, and it doesn’t make things easier knowing that others in our country and around the world feel the same way.
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As students, we have access to several resources that can help us cope with our thoughts and feelings, but we are still expected to perform at a very high standard. I don’t just mean this in regards to our academics. When everyone has some form of social media or access to an electronic device, we are expected to communicate constantly outside of face-to-face interactions. We are also expected to always have all of the knowledge about our current social, political climate simply because it is accessible. We are encouraged to read/view and share news stories to spread information. Knowledge is power after all, and we need all the power we can get to face the times.
Of course it’s important to keep communicating with others. Of course we should be aware of what’s happening in the world. But are you aware of the way you are communicating with yourself? Are you aware of the toll everything is taking on you?
You might be furious and profoundly saddened by the state of this nation, for the state of the world. Your empathy game is too strong, and that’s a beautiful thing. You might be letting fear take over your way of living in the world because what’s going on directly affects you.
So I’m here to tell you that it is okay to unplug once in a while just so you can take care of yourself. Everyone has different ways of going about this. Some approaches include being off social media for a certain time during the day, making time to engage in something you enjoy, or just being alone and blocking out everything that brings you down. When some people hear the term “unplug”, they can think it means bad communication skills and that those who partake think it’s acceptable to be ignorant. I do not necessarily buy this. If you are someone who deeply cares about the world around you and inside of you, you cannot lose this ability to feel so easily. You just need to rest this capacity so that you can have the chance to take in more when you are ready. This doesn’t mean you don’t care but the opposite. You care so much that you will do what you can to ensure that you can continue to care.
Source: positivedoodles tumblr
You are necessary in this fight against the social and political forces that threaten humanity; however, part of fighting means knowing when to take the time to heal yourself from the wounds. Your heart and mind have to be in this battle. Even though your existence in this world is inherently powerful, your emotional presence is required as well.
It might all just feel like one endless cycle of fighting and resting, but each cycle brings new opportunities to realize why you get back up. You know it’s not just about you. You know that when humanity suffers, you cannot truly be at peace with the world.
I have to be real for a second. These are all things I personally need to hear on a regular basis. Every time I read of a new injustice towards humanity, I am overcome with emotion and cannot perform whatever task I need to complete whether this be eating, sleeping, or finishing up an assignment. I sorely regret this later when I get four hours of sleep at night and fail at normal things in the morning or cannot concentrate while attempting to finish up a paper. Sometimes we cannot control how a piece of news affects us, but if you know that you need to unplug in order to do other necessary things, that’s okay. You can be there for humanity while doing things that are important to you. Your dreams and hopes for the future cannot be destroyed so easily because you have so many folks fighting for you. Get your schoolwork done, hang out with your friends, read a book. Coping with the election means finding reasons to keep going, and taking a step back sometimes will remind you of why you want to take thousands of steps forward.
None of the images used belong to the author or Her Campus UC Davis.
Main image source: redOrbit