During these tumultuous times in the US and around the world, many of us feel personally assaulted and distressed by news events. Each day, media of all kinds demand our attention, shouting news and information to attend to, digest, and distill. How do we navigate our thoughts, choices, and responses? How do we pay attention to the news stories, discerning fact from fiction, steering our reactions, ideas, and opinions — while also maintaining our internal equilibrium?
This article is not a commentary about the politics in the news, which comes at us relentlessly. Rather, it’s a blog post about navigating our own internal politics — the inner compass that helps us guide ourselves toward our true north during today’s difficult times and navigate our well-being in the process.
Amid stormy daily events, many of us recognize the need to take care of ourselves — to maneuver the challenges of personal choice and self-care as we confront the tumult of social and political stresses. Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, MD, is credited with inviting us to consider that in any situation there is space. In that space we have the power to choose our response — to make a choice — no matter how difficult the circumstance. The response we choose comprises our potential for learning, growth, and happiness.
Here are 3 options to consider as you navigate your inner “politics” of personal choice and self-care. These ideas will not resolve the political challenges of our times, but may offer a personal respite for greater well-being as you consider the events, your reactions, and next steps.
1 - How can you buffer yourself in the face of these challenges? One strategy is to add more micro-moments of love and kindness into your days. The research of psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D. indicates that sharing positive emotions between yourself and another person impacts biochemistry and behaviors, improving well-being and what she terms “positivity resonance” (Fredrickson, 2013). Even brief moments of connection between two people can positively impact the body and the brain. For example, taking a moment to chat with a neighbor, calling a friend or family member, letting someone in front of you in line at the grocery store, or sharing a coffee break with a colleague can uplift your sense of emotional well-being.
2 - Another strategy is a practice called metta, more popularly called loving-kindness or compassion meditation. This straight-forward mindfulness practice has been studied empirically -- one study found that 7 minutes of loving kindness meditation temporarily boosted positive feelings and the experience of social connection (Hutchinson, 2008; Goleman & Davidson, 2017). This powerful, easy to do meditation practice can help us open the heart first to ourselves and then stretch it open toward others in our own spheres and beyond.
Loving-kindness meditation offers goodwill to the self and to others. Typically practiced with the in-and-out of slow breaths, a few simple, yet powerful phrases are repeated silently with eyes closed or open: “May I be safe. May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I live with ease.” The phrases offer compassion for oneself then, if the practitioner chooses to do so, can be extended with a more global intention for compassion toward others you know, those you don’t know, your neighborhood, local and national leaders, your entire country, or even all human beings everywhere (Salzburg, 2014). “May all beings feel safe. May all beings be happy. May all beings be healthy. May all beings be at ease.”
3 - Here’s another strategy -- Motivational psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson (2012) reminds us to focus on what we will do, rather than focusing on what we won’t do. If you find yourself getting overly upset about current events (regardless of your viewpoint), you might notice that trying not to think about something may actually make you think about it more. Rather, it can be helpful to create an if-then plan, identifying what you will do instead (Oettingen, 2010 ; Halvorson, 2012). “If I find that I am dwelling on political news more than I want to, I will go outside and walk briskly for 20 minutes.”
These strategies will not change the external events confronting us, but they may help us navigate self-care and personal choices, enabling our capacity to tolerate the challenges bombarding us, and enhancing the capacity to show up and take action, while honoring, caring for, and paying attention to the inner compass that guides us.
** This post is for educational purposes and should not substitute for psychotherapy with a qualified professional.
References
Frankl, V. (1959). Man’s search for meaning. New York, NY: Washington Square Press.
Fredrickson, B.L. (2013). Love 2.0: How our supreme emotion affects everything we feel, think, do, and become. New York, NY: Hudson Street Press.
Goleman D. & Davidson, R.J. (2017). Altered traits: Science reveals how meditation changes your mind, brain, and body. New York, NY: Avery.
Halvorson, H.G. (2012). 9 things successful people do differently. Boston MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
Hutchinson, C.A. et al (2008). Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion, 8(5), 700-724.
Oettingen, G. & Gollwitzer, P.M. (2010). Strategies of setting and implementing goals: Mental contrasting and implementation intention. In J.E. Maddux & J.P. Tangney (Eds.). Social psychological foundations of clinical psychology (114-136). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Salzburg, S. (2010). The force of kindness: Change your life with love & compassion. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.
