Rest When You Can

New mothers often receive this advice when their newborns arrive: “Sleep when the baby sleeps.” Anyone who has cared for an infant knows such guidance is easier said than it is to follow, yet it’s some of the best counsel. With a slight modification, the same recommendation applies to those of us involved in resistance to the actions and policies of the Trump administration: “Rest when you can.”

While I’m on vacation, I’m trying to follow my own guidance by sharing blog posts from other writers. So today, I’m taking a rest and offer this link to author and activist Eileen Flanagan’s concrete list of 5 Ways to Stay Well While Fighting for Good; you can find it at a new website Eileen introduced me to,  We The Women. Here’s how it begins:

Women have taken to the streets and to the phones since the election, many engaging in activism for the first time. We haven’t won on every issue, but our actions have made a difference, including slowing the administration’s plans to dismantle health care and deport millions of people.

Now, the challenge is to stay active as the initial energy subsides. Here are some things that can help us keep the momentum and avoid burnout.

She goes into more detail about these five suggestions:

Take a breath.

Don’t just react.

Find your niche.

Realize you’re not alone.

Learn from the past.

Eileen, who teaches the online course We Were Made for This Moment,  also shares wisdom about grounding ourselves in difficult times.

I’ll be taking some deep breaths over the coming week, and I hope you will, too. We’re on a long, winding road.