Anxiety Is Contagious, Y'all
October 22, 2020
How are you in this moment?
For me, this Lin-Manuel Miranda poem has been deeply resonant. He writes:
“Your worst fears...only need a drop of attention and sunlight to grow quick and wreck your whole shit…”
Anxiety is contagious, y’all. Our worst fears are getting near-constant attention and sunlight just by turning on the news.
But Miranda, magical being that he is, continues, offering much solace in the alternative:
“Take time to harvest your strengths and your joys…
Plant music, arts, pics of the ones you love in the darkest corners.
Harvest the fruits of your daydreams and rest.
Water and sunlight to the best in you.”
Love.
Here are three practices that are helping me bring water and sunlight to what I want to grow.
1. Send gratitude texts or little notes of encouragement
I recently came across a lovely email my friend Kylie sent me a while back. On a lark, I dropped her two texts that simply said.
“I think you’re great.”
“Just FYI.”
Kylie immediately replied, “Oh.my.word. You made my day.” The whole exchange took 30 seconds, but it stuck with me and left us both smiling. In a deeply challenging time, this brief correspondence served as a beautiful little dose of positivity and connection.
Here are some sample texts you may consider sending to a friend right now:
“Grateful for all that you’re doing.”
“Keep it up!”
“You make me smile.”
“Thought you should know.”
2. Color
The day after the levees broke following Hurricane Katrina, a friend brought me a Winnie the Pooh coloring book and a 64 pack of crayons. It remains among the most important gifts I’ve ever received.
According to Mercy Medical Center, “Focusing on the calming, harmless activity of coloring can help decrease the feelings of worry and panic, allowing the brain to rest and relax.” I don’t know about y’all, but rest and relaxation sound far superior to worry and panic. Coloring for the win.
Plus, you can combine #1 and #2! My beloved friend Laura Sanders started a totally free coloring club she calls Color Me Flattered. Each week, she emails an illustrated compliment for club members to color. Color your pic, pop it in an envelope, and mail it to a friend!
Who wouldn’t want to receive a colored pic of an eel that says “You are electric”? (see below!)
3. Make a plan for Election Day
Vote, vote, vote, y’all!
If you’re able to early vote, please do. If you’re voting by mail, send it in ASAP. If you plan to vote on Election Day, don’t forget your mask, and I’d recommend a book, a wireless phone charger, earphones, and a snack. Lines may be long, so please go prepared.
If you’re not able to vote, volunteering is a great way to engage. That said, if you want to volunteer, sign up now. Campaigns are getting a ton of fabulous support, and it’s a lot for staff to coordinate. To ensure your support is helpful, make your plan now.
Once your civic duty is done, celebrate the ways you’ve invested in our democracy.
All three of these practices fall into a “focus on where you have agency” category.
Connect, find ways to relax, and make sure your vote counts. In what feels like an increasingly volatile world, these practices are bringing me solace. I hope they do for you too.
