There are a few tools my teacher gave me for overwhelm—ways to help our nervous system navigate times like these.

1. Make an appointment with Nature daily.

Nature is your doctor. Don’t miss it. Don’t skip it. Don’t bargain with yourself. Even in a city, choose one tree that calls you. One patch of sky. One stone. One bird. Put your hand on something living. Breathe with him/her. Let your body remember it belongs to Earth.

2. Give your anger an outlet.

Scream into a pillow. Punch it. Push against a wall as hard as you can. Let that fire move. Then stand up and shake—arms, legs, jaw, hips, the whole damn body. This helps complete the fight/flight response instead of trapping it inside you.

3. Give the first 10 minutes of your day to your body.

Feet on the ground. Breathe. Deep and long. Feel your body—no “escape meditation.” Feeling is caring. Let your breath touch the places you usually avoid.

4. If it’s not safe to post or speak freely, write it.

A journal. A letter you won’t send. Write directly to the oppressor (external or internal). Be raw. Be bold. Tell the truth without making it pretty.

5. Make something with what you feel.

Writing, painting, singing, dancing, drumming, pottery—anything. Beauty finds its way through the creative center, even when the world is brutal. Especially then.

And most of all: do not shame yourself for your feelings. Your soul and heart are entirely entitled to rage, grief, disgust, numbness, fear—whatever shows up.

One more thing: don’t lose your humanity trying to explain your humanity to people committed to misunderstanding you. Don’t give them that much space.

Yesterday, after posting about the murder of this mother, I lost over 150 followers. But I stayed human.

I stayed in my truth. I did not listen to the little shaming voice that whispered, “This isn’t spiritual.”

Fuck that voice. Being “spiritual” without being human is just another costume.

Holding everyone here in my prayers.

Restack to find more of the village that supports this, and read the essay “The Algorithm Hates Tears” I wrote on Grief a little while back.

Angell 🦌❤️