As I said on Sunday, I know we are in a wide variety of places emotionally after the election. One week out, some of us are still in shock, and needing comfort rather than a to-do list; others are itching to have something tangible to do; most of us are probably in each of those places some of the time.

For now, I am going to try to meet those needs by offering two simple lists. These are basics, but sometimes under stress we need reminding of the basics!

Self-Care Strategies for Stressful Times:
1. Listen to your body. What does it need?
2. Rest when you are tired, and if you don’t feel tired, try to get an amount of sleep each night that sustains your energy during the day. (Naps are good too.)
3. Hydrate. It’s hard to overstate how much of a difference this makes in how we feel.
4. If you are in recovery, do not break your sobriety for this. It’s not worth it. (And if you do—get yourself to a meeting and start at Day 1 again.) In fact, anyone in a twelve-step program might benefit from extra meetings right now.
5. Eat food that makes your body feel good. That doesn’t mean a strict diet; it means make sure you are getting protein, carbs, and fiber in ways that work for your body. Splurges are fine, maybe even necessary. (Please be attentive to your medical situation—for example, if you are diabetic, it will not make you feel better to have your sugar level too high. Trust me!)
6. Talk to someone. A loved one, a therapist, a spiritual director, your minister…get whatever kind(s) of support you need.
7. If the news is causing anxiety or depression, watch less news.
8. Do something that relaxes you. Sometimes self-care looks like working on a jigsaw puzzle while the cat supervises.

If/when you have energy to care for others:
1. Check in on your most vulnerable friends and family members. This might mean vulnerable due to marginalization based on identity; medically vulnerable; financially vulnerable; emotionally vulnerable. Who in your life needs to be reminded that they are loved?
2. Volunteer, donate, or otherwise support any of the organizations that are already working to help people, including this congregation. Many of you already do this regularly. Can you increase your level of support even a little?
3. Keep alert for new ways to help, as the situation evolves.

We are in this together.

With love and gratitude,
Rev. Diana