Trump Trauma
Triumph in spite of it all. Whoever, wherever you might be.
The writing break I intended only to take for a couple of months quickly turned into multiple months. Time happens. Life passes. It’s incredibly hard right now to feel motivated, much less inspired. I’m having a hard time settling into anything. Sitting down to write feels like an insurmountable hurdle. I am slowly easing in.
In the next four weeks, I’ll be featuring some seasonal greatest hits from the archives and also getting us ready for a big Dharma Day year-end challenge. I hope you’ll join me for a poignant process to wind down 2024.
Not an easy new post, but here we go.
Preface: As I write this, I know that 50 percent of the voters in this country are not experiencing this phenomenon. But this is never a game of winners and losers; we are people of a land divided. A land of gamblers placing our bets that certain politicians will defend our personal beliefs and move forward our agendas—ideally, in support of our basic human rights through an undefined life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
My goal was not to write a political piece. There are plenty of people for that. My interest is to write something on mental wellness during an era of instability. As a yoga practitioner, I subscribe to a philosophy of union beyond the polarities. Right now, the division feels extreme. What will bridge this gap is a practice of compassion. Whoever you are, wherever you are—know that right now, others are struggling. This is one example of how that struggling just might feel.
I’m in a haze—distracted, lost, and disconnected. My sleep is interrupted, my dreams are troubled. Inside me, there’s a heavyweight championship boxing match between anger and sadness. They slug it out daily. It depends on the moment who’s left standing. I know my nervous system. I know what this means. My system is processing a post-election outcome that sent shockwaves throughout—like only grief can deliver.
I am not alone. In some capacity, 74,190,636 people could be experiencing a similar effect. We are in Trump Trauma.
When a mix of moods and emotions flood into overwhelm, for me, the circuit breaker trips. I go numb. I’m a freezer. Some are fighters, already fiercely organizing for social and political campaigns. Some are flighters, figuring out the quickest means to become an expat and move overseas. I, like a possum, play dead and, for a spell, become completely immobile. It’s not a nervous system default I am especially proud of, but it is how I manage most of the time when I feel unsafe. It’s where I need to be to restore and thoughtfully strategize.
On a walk this week, I had this vague recollection of an article by Adam Grant published in The New York Times during the height of COVID isolation. There was a word that encapsulated a feeling so many were having. He described and popularized the concept of “languishing.” It’s described as idling in an unmotivated, inert mindset. What I realized in rereading the article is that, though I felt a sense of stagnation and collapse, what I was truly experiencing was much more intense. My nervous system is perpetuating some symptoms of trauma. I am anguishing.
Anguishing is the low mark on a scale of my navigating this minefield of emotion. I’m okay. I have my tools and coping strategies (thank you, yoga). I know this too shall pass, and I will be leaning in the direction of flourishing.
Anguishing: Grief, sadness, angst, worry, distress, agony, obsess, sorrow, fear, despair, despondence.
Languishing: Stagnate, laze, idle, flounder, inertia, lack, weary, dispirit, deplete, collapse, uninspired, torpid.
Flourishing: Thrive, grow, emerge, prosper, succeed, bloom, enthusiastic, progress, luxuriate, vivacious, zest.
It will take time to shift. We each have to unpack these wounds in our own unique way to examine the root of the distress. There are some ways to consciously guide the nervous system back from an edge, whether fight, flight, or freeze. The world wants more flourishing. It really, really does.
Focus on what you know, who you know, and where in your life you have control: For a little while, pull your tendrils in a little closer. Retract your attention from the periphery until you feel stable in your own center. Keep your connections strong to the precious few. Learn to focus on the smaller things that you can control. There is a world full of problems to solve—and yes, you will be needed. However, first start at home.
Avoid catastrophizing: The media can stir us into chaos. Bombarded with theories, speculations, predictions, and analysis, it is nearly impossible to see what the reality is in the present moment. It can be extremely difficult to discern fact from frenzy. We all tune into the media outlets that keep us comfortable and affirm what we already believe. While it’s important to stay informed, a news fast for a few days can do wonders for the soul.
Micro-dose on joy, gratitude, and wonder: Anguishing can tip the scales into feelings of hopelessness. In order to recover, we have to be in the moment with every spark of emotion that uplifts us. Go deep into the little moments of joy. Seek out places of awe and wonder. Be grateful for not only what you have, but who you are. Don’t let these moments be fleeting. Let them consume you.
Learn to transform and discharge: In the intricate relationship of body and mind, sometimes the body stores what the mind can’t process. The body becomes a container for our stress. Figure out a way to move your body—walk, run, dance, air guitar—any type of movement that releases the pressure valve. Get to know your favorite movement medicine and use it to transform any anguishing emotions. Have it on the ready, and discharge any pent-up energy that is ready to be released.
More than anything, I encourage a bone-deep rest and a some time to unplug. Write. Yell. Cry. Restore. Get quieter (even if it’s scary). Reach out to check on people you know are struggling. Reach out and let those precious few know you are okay. Get simple. Keep breathing.
Then slowly return prepared to Thrive. Grow. Emerge. Prosper. Succeed. Bloom.
Coming soon for all Dharma Days subscribers… 5 day journaling immersion, Sacred Renewal: Reflect, Review, Renew.
If anyone needs a 20 minute rest, here’s a guided breathing practice to soothe the nervous system. 👇🧡🦋
