Twitter, Trolls, and Tips

While thinking about the ways we’ve responded to our pandemic (mask vs. no mask, cooperate vs. resist), I ran across a Twitter post on shruggers vs. stockpilers and then watched the first part of the latest Trolls movie, where trolls split up by music genre. After, I saw an article declaring we’ll soon have two “classes” of individuals:  the protected and the vulnerable. Ack! So much division! It inspired me to come back to my blog to share some tips for responding to uncertainty. They are from D. Mosquera and K. Steele out of the Institute for the Study of Trauma and Personality Disorders (sigh…more categories…so many categories).

Tip 1: Avoid listening to/reading news constantly and especially before bed.

Instead schedule a time to update, once or twice a day (max), and stick to facts vs. sensationalism.

Tip 2: Set up a daily routine

Sleep, Hygiene (you’ll likely feel better), Healthy Eating, Exercise, Outside Time, Connection (but maybe avoiding the Neil Diamond kind), Mindfulness, Hobbies

Tip 3: Focus on tasks that depend on you and consider that staying home may be heroic (I’d add without judging others who do otherwise as bad)

Tip 4: Stay present-oriented

One day at a time, One week at a time. Find humor, playfulness, interest, and meaning where you can.

I hope these tips help. Here’s something to remember that also may, especially when our minds want an “us vs. them” of one sort or another…that I got from Tara Brach:

The Buddha said, “Our fear is great but greater yet is the truth of our connectedness.”