January 2026 Collective Trauma - How to Support Yourself Revisited

We've all dealt with various levels of collective trauma over the past 5 years, so many pivotal historical moments from the pandemic lock down, to George Floyd and the subsequent societal reaction, to now the continual violent aggressive tactics by our current administration.

While we are faced with potentially new levels of threat, fear, and powerlessness, we might draw on the past 5 years to give us information about ourselves, as well as start aquiring new tools and strategies.

It's a good time to start asking yourself - what have you noticed about yourself in the past and currently regarding how you navigate these moments of macro-trauma when our social media feeds, community, and news is bombarded by activating material? What have you noticed from past experience supports you during times like this? What sorts of behaviors, decisions and reactive action contributes to worsening stress levels and well-being for you? Because the truth is, making ourselves sick with stress does no good to anyone. It doesn't help the people being detained, it doesn't help the folks grieving their loved ones, it doesn't help stop the powers that be.

You know yourself best. You've probably learned a lot. Maybe, like me, you have handled things in ways that did not end up serving you in the past. So knowing so much is going on in the collective, can you take some time to notice if you're falling into old patterns that create more dis-ease for you in the face of all this, or if you're intentionally practicing some self-care that will enable you to actually be helpful should a time come when you are called to be?

Your self-care at a time like this determines how well you're able to show up for the people around you, and also to make good choices if you should have to deal with something urgently.

I think we all need to balance our needs in a time like this - navigating how much and how often to acquire knowledge, limit exposure, take action, spend time on your own, practice stress release activities, connect with community.

Know that those around you are doing the same, and everyone's response looks different. Practice respecting yourself and those around you regardless of what that looks like, and see if you can access the connection we all share as one human family.

What are you doing to take care of yourself at this time? Are you addressing your mental, physical, emotional, communal needs? There's so much out of our control but taking care of yourself even in the smallest of ways is one thing you do have power over.